Now & Forever
by Pen Name Cambria
Summary: Takes place after defeating Hendrickson. A Melizabeth story :) So...I combined some chapters to make things flow a bit better. Sorry for any confusion for the people following the story!
1. Chapter 1

**Please be kind; this is my first time publishing anything! Though, I would absolutely love some feedback!**

 _Where am I?_ he thought as he tried to look around; there wasn't the slightest bit of light anywhere, just a suffocating darkness. But he sensed there was something more...something prowling just beyond his reach and he could feel it's power crashing against him like waves.

There was something unnervingly familiar about the feeling and while he couldn't quite place it, he instinctively knew it was dangerous.

"Who are you?" he called out in a bored voice.

His question was met with the same heavy silence as before.

Suddenly a voice whispered in his ear "you can't have her, you know."

He stiffened and quickly felt his mouth go dry. Struggling to keep his voice calm and detached, he merely responded with the same question as before.

"I said, who are you?"

"The goddesses will never let you keep her". The bodiless voice continued. It had a rough and raspy quality and there was a gleefully maliciousness to the statement. "You're tainted. Nothing more than a monster that destroys everything it touches."

He felt himself go cold and the fury began to tingle at the base of his spine. But there was a third feeling he was unaccustomed to that began to curl around his chest, making it hard to breathe and he began to feel nauseous. It was fear; not for himself but for _Her_. As heavy as he thought the darkness had been before, he now felt as though it was slowly crushing him.

"If you touch her, I will destroy you" he hissed before he could stop himself.

"Really?" replied the mysterious voice as it began to laugh "How very interesting."

It was a cold, cruel laugh that got louder and louder until it suddenly stopped; leaving him alone in the oppressive darkness.

...

Meliodas suddenly sat up.

His clothes and sheets were soaked with sweat and his hands shaking from a mixture of anger and fear. He quickly looked to his right and felt relief wash over him. The moonlight lit up the bedroom with a silvery glow and he could easily see Elizabeth's calm, sleeping face while her chest gently moved with every sweet breath she took. At some point during his dream he had gotten free of the coarse ropes and they were currently laying, broken and useless, beside the bed. He got up as carefully as he could and silently padded across the room to change into a dry set of clothes. Looking back towards the bed, he thought again about how lucky he was to be there. Powerful or not, there had been moments in that final fight against Hendrickson where he wasn't sure if he was going to make it through alive. _Then she saved the day and didn't even realize it. She's truly incredible_ he thought as he grinned and a faint blush spread across his cheeks. He gently crawled back into bed and comfortably settled next to the Princess.

 _Well, if I'm going to be in trouble tomorrow, I might as well make the most of it_ he thought to himself.

Leaning forward to brush her silver hair aside, he placed a soft kiss on the Princess' forehead. She sighed and smiled in her sleep and he looked to make sure he hadn't woken her. Maybe it was the subtle fear that still licked at the edges of his consciousness, but he carefully wrapped his arms protectively around her and drew her tightly to his chest. He bent his head and kissed her forehead again.

"I will always protect you. You're too important to me, now and forever."

She suddenly snuggled into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his chest, and whispered his name. Surprised, he quickly looked down to make sure she was still asleep. He hadn't actually confessed his feelings to her yet…well, not while she was conscious. Though, he smiled to himself, he had a feeling she had heard him anyway. He relaxed and, enjoying her warmth and calm in the knowledge that she was safe, fell into a dreamless sleep with his lips resting gently against her forehead.


	2. Chapter 2

When Hawk went in to wake them up the next morning, the first thing he noticed were the ropes laying next to the bed. He was absolutely furious at Meliodas and deeply concerned for the Princess; he knew how physical the Captain liked to get with her. However, as he marched towards the bed, the pig saw them still in their pajamas and wrapped in each other's arms with his lips still resting on her forehead...not to mention they were both very much asleep. Hawk was torn. On the one hand he wanted to kick Meliodas out of bed and give him a piece of his mind. On the other, they looked so peaceful and he was suddenly struck with how obviously important Elizabeth was to the Captain; looking at them like this, there was no doubt left in his mind. Also, he was sure that if he were to wake them up, today would be the day the Dragon Sin of Wrath would make good on his threat to turn him into bacon. Still unsure, he silently closed the door and made his way back down the worn stairs.

"Finally!" said a voice as he came into the bar. "Are we gonna to go to the city for supplies or what?!" Ban continued as he popped his head out of the kitchen. "Master? I thought you were the Captain. Where the hell is he?"

Hawk looked at him in uncomfortable silence and not knowing what else to say, replied "Um, still sleeping?"

Ban looked at him in momentary confusion when a wicked grin suddenly lit up his face. "Isn't the Princess still up there too? Is the Captain asleep or " _asleep"_?"

Hawk blushed at the implication and Ban grinned even wider as he rushed up the stairs before the pig could stop him. His plan was to startle them or maybe catch them in an awkward position and then spend the rest of the week giving the Captain a hard time.

However, when Ban opened the door he found them legitimately asleep and still in the same position Hawk had left them in. He had been pretty sure that his Captain liked the Princess, though the Sin of Wrath had always been very hard to read; even for him. But this was the first time he had ever seen him look so happy and peaceful. Ban suddenly realized just how important Elizabeth was to Meliodas and was hit with a fresh wave of shame as he thought about how he had almost killed his best friend to bring his girlfriend back. Here was his Captain, as much in love with Elizabeth as he was with Elaine.

"How could I have been so blind" he mumbled, shutting the door and walking down the stairs. He grabbed a random case of ale and walked out to the porch; lost in painful memories and a strong sense of self-loathing.

...

At the sound of the bedroom door, the Princess finally stirred and she slowly opened her eyes wondering why she was so delightfully warm. Elizabeth was shocked to discover that the source of the heat was Meliodas. She could feel his soft exhales against her forehead and was suddenly hyper aware of the fact that she was finally touching him. Not gripping his shirt while he's saving her and not being grabbed or groped. Though, she thought, if she were being completely truthful with herself, she didn't really mind that. The Princess was more embarrassed by the reactions and comments from everyone else and while she knew that the touching _should_ bother her, she couldn't quite explain why it didn't. Her breathing and heart rate picked up as she thought about how his hands would travel up her legs and how they were so strong yet gentle when he squeezed her chest.

At the subtle changes, Meliodas opened his eyes and gave her a sleepy smile. "Good morning Elizabeth, how'd you sleep?"

 _He asks the question so casually, as though we normally wake up like this!_ she thought in surprise. Deciding that it was easier to just play along, she looked up into his bright green eyes and promptly felt a blush spread across her cheeks. _Why can't you be more calm and collected when it comes to interacting with the captain of the Seven Deadly Sins, Elizabeth!_ she silently chastised herself.

"W-well, that may have been one of the most refreshing sleeps I've had in a long time. H-how did you sleep?" she finished weakly. He chuckled as her face went from bright pink to a deep crimson. It was in that moment that the Princess realized they still had their arms around each other and she quickly drew hers back in embarrassment.

"Uh, where do you think Hawk is?" she said a bit too loudly "He seems to be late waking us up today." Meliodas unexpectedly felt cold at the absence of her arms; as though he had suddenly moved from a sunny meadow to the shade of the forest.

"Hmm, good question. That pig's usually a lot more annoying in the morning " he yawned as he slid his hands a bit lower to rest at her waist. She gasped softly at his touch.

"So, should we just stay here?" he grinned "I could have them bring us up some breakfast…"

The thought of the other sins barging in on them got Elizabeth out of bed a lot faster than Meliodas would have liked. "I was only joking" he said, sitting up with a pout. She looked back at him and saw the look of disappointment plainly written across the Captain's face. "Weren't you the one saying, just yesterday, we needed to go in to Liones for supplies?" Elizabeth pointed out with a giggle. She grabbed a fresh uniform and walked to the bathroom. "Besides," she continued "if we don't get supplies soon, we'll have no food left to make breakfast _with_!"

Groaning in defeat, he flopped back down and drew the still warm blankets up over his head.

In the safety of the brightly lit bathroom, Elizabeth leaned against the closed door and stole a quick glance at the mirror. Her eyes looked a little too bright with unspoken excitement and she slowly slid her back down the door until she was sitting on the cool floor. She unsuccessfully tried to gain control of her racing heart and, more importantly, her thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

The partially repaired castle was busy, as it usually was nowadays, with trades people and the usual castle staff coming and going. The King looked out at the city and noted how far the rebuild had already come. _If they keep going at this pace, the city will be fully repaired within the next few weeks! It's nice to see the Holy Knights finally doing some good and actually helping the people_ he thought, _It's been far too long._

He made his way to the smaller, more casual dining room and was surprised to find only two of his three daughters present. "Good morning my dears, where's your sister?" Margaret and Veronica looked at each other; they were hoping he was going to eat his breakfast before inquiring. Bartra raised an eyebrow before calling over one of the servants.

"Go and let Princess Elizabeth know that breakfast is being served."

"Father, I'm not sure sending a servant is going to help" spoke Margaret softly.

"And why is that?"

"Because she didn't come home last night...again" said Veronica with a smirk. "What?" She replied defensively as Margaret shook her head in astonishment and the King pressed his mouth into a hard, thin line. "You asked!"

The eldest princess wasn't really surprised at Elizabeth not coming back to the castle last night and it wasn't as though they didn't know where she was. She was more surprised that Veronica had betrayed her younger sister to their father so quickly. Though, thought Margaret with amusement, Veronica was still annoyed by the fact that it had been Elizabeth, not herself, who had gone on the kind of adventure the tomboy princess had only dreamed of. Margaret quietly sent the servants away so they could all speak plainly.

"Well, if she's not in the castle, then where is she?" he asked. The eldest Princess raised an eyebrow and suppressed an irritated sigh "Father, do you even need to ask?"

"What if something were to happen? How would I know she was safe!?"

Surprisingly it was Veronica who spoke up. "Father, there is no place on earth where she could possibly be safer. He broke out of an unbreakable crystal prison to protect her! I should know; I was the one who put him in there and I'm sure you've noticed the way he looks at her. She couldn't have possibly found herself a better protector, you must know that!"

"I _do_ know that!" huffed the King "but there shouldn't have been anything to protect any of you from in the first place." The two sisters hadn't seen their father look this defeated since the Holy Knights had first taken control of the Kingdom.

The King glanced up to see his daughters looking at him with concern. He slowly shook his head, "now I've lost the last druid decedent of Danafall, who I was charged with protecting I might add, to the one who destroyed it in the first place!"

"Is that truly what this is about or is that just a convenient excuse because you don't actually want _anyone_ dating her? It's not as though she isn't old enough and you can't protect her forever, father! He loves her and she loves him; they would willingly follow each other to the ends of the earth. You know what I'm saying is true" said Margaret in a soft clear voice.

Bartra looked at his oldest daughter and gave her a tired smile. "You're going to make a very wise queen someday. If you were in my shoes, what would you do?"

"Get new shoes" she laughed. "But in all seriousness, I would throw a royal ball and invite the neighboring Kingdoms. Let them see that the city survived and that we're not weak. I would also make a point of inviting the Seven Deadly Sins so that word will get out that they are allied with Liones" she said as she pushed back her chair. On her way out the door she looked over her shoulder at her father's stunned face and grinned.

"Oh, and I would _definitely_ invite Meliodas to tea and see if he has any designs on the youngest princess of Liones."

Veronica continued to look at the closed door for a moment "She has a point you know", but the King was too lost in thought to hear her.


	4. Chapter 4

"What do you mean he's already passed out drunk? It's only eight in the morning!" grumbled Meliodas. "We're supposed to be going to the city for supplies; I have no idea what kinds of ingredients he wants!"

"Let me see if I can get him up" said Diane. The giantess picked up the unconscious Sin of Greed and shook him violently while loudly yelling at him to wake up. However, Ban didn't even bat an eye.

King floated towards them, "I've got this". He leaned forward and quietly whispered into Ban's ear. The Fox Sin's eyes snapped open and he leapt to his feet looking more sober than they had seen him in a very long time. "Are we going or what?" he asked in a clear voice.

"What the hell did you say to him?" asked Hawk in astonishment. "I just said that if he didn't come to town to shop for supplies, then the Captain was going to make dinner." There was a unanimous shudder and Meliodas scowled as everyone burst into laughter. He glanced over at Elizabeth as they made their way back into the Boar Hat and his expression softened. She was trying her best not to laugh and to hide her smile behind her hand, but was failing miserably at both. He caught her eye and winked, causing her to turn a violent shade of red and promptly trip up the stairs.

The group was _finally_ getting ready to set out when there was a knock at the tavern door. They all looked up as Gilthunder walked in, stopping in his tracks and looking surprised to see the majority of the Sins gathered in one place. "Yo, Gil! What brings you to the Boar Hat on this beautiful day? We were just on our way to Liones" Meliodas said with a grin.

Gil glanced over as Elizabeth came out of the back storage room with a shopping list. She was concentrating more on the list than where she was placing her feet and stumbled over the well worn threshold, but Meliodas leapt forward and caught her before she could hit the floor. "Elizabeth! What am I going to do with you?" he laughed as he looked into her startled blue eyes and gently brushed a strand of silver hair from her flushed face. As though suddenly remembering their audience, he quickly placed her back on her feet and, with an even quicker motion, grabbed her rear before moving back towards the rest of the group. This was more than enough to set off Hawk and, yelling insults like a battlecry, ran towards Meliodas who merely sidestepped at the last moment. Instead of slamming into the Captain, he collided with Ban and everyone watched as they both went tumbling out the front door.

"You were saying?" said Meliodas as he turned back towards the Holy Knight as though nothing had happened. Gil could only shake his head in wonder at the interruption.

"The King sent me to make sure the Princess was safe" he said pointing a look in Elizabeth's direction. She flushed and, staring at her shoes, refused to meet his eyes. "And" he continued as he turned back to face the others "to invite you all as honored guests to the royal ball that will be taking place in one month."

Surprise and delight lit up Elizabeth's face; her curiosity won out over her embarrassment, and she moved to stand with Meliodas and the other Sins. " _Father_ is throwing a _ball!_?" "Your oldest sister may or may not have convinced him that it would be a good idea" said Gilthunder with a wink.

Diane suddenly came running through the door, having finally found the bottle of shrinking pills that she had somehow misplaced in her backpack. "What did I miss?" she asked breathlessly.

"You've all been invited as honored guests to a royal ball in one month" summarized the princess. "One month!? But that doesn't give me much time to find a dress! You'll help me, right?" cried Diane. "Of course, I'm going to need your help too!" Elizabeth smiled.

"Does that mean you'll be there?" asked the Holy Knight.

"Formal attire and an awkward dinner followed by dancing? Ugh, don't sign _me_ up" grumbled Ban as he came back into the tavern with Hawk in tow.

"I don't know" Meliodas responded "huge quantities of the best ale in the country and a delicious dinner that you don't have to make...that doesn't sound too bad." He smirked as he watched the Fox Sin's face lit up. "Though, I suppose if the King wants us there, there's nothing we can do" Ban finished with a sly grin.

Hearing no other objections and seeing the excited expression on Elizabeths face, the Captain nodded "yup, you can tell him we'll be there."

Gil locked eyes with the Sin of Wrath "why don't you just tell him at your meeting tomorrow afternoon?"

The other Sins watched as their Captain raised an eyebrow. This meeting was obviously as unexpected to him as it was to them. "Of course, how could I have forgotten about my meeting...with the King...tomorrow afternoon. Well" Meliodas continued cheerfully "we still need supplies, so let's go!" he smiled, shooing everyone out the door.

...

During their trip to the city, Ban moved up to walk beside his Captain.

"So, what do you think the King wants to talk to you about?"

"Haven't the foggiest"

The Fox Sin snuck a look at Meliodas "he probably wants to talk to you about his daughter."

"What are you going on about?" he chuckled dismissively. However, Ban couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable his friend suddenly became.

Having reached the city of Liones, they all decided to split up into smaller groups to see who could complete their list and make it back to the Boar Hat first. Ban was following Meliodas having come to the conclusion that if he was going to get any answers, now was the best time to try.

"Seriously, we're not blind! The Princess likes you a lot and you _obviously_ like her! You have a chance to keep her and if you're not careful, you'll lose it. Captain...as someone who lost their chance, let me just say that you'll end up regretting it forever."

His Captain stood, looking thoughtful for a moment. "You know" he began "I think we need a few more towels for behind the bar." Ban growled a few obscenities before storming off in frustration and Meliodas watched until he was sure he had gone. Finally left to his own thoughts, he made his way over to a low stone wall and easily hoisted himself up onto it.

He was pretty sure that the King _did_ want to talk to him about Elizabeth. He wasn't sure about what precisely but considering that: he hired the princess as a waitress (not to mention the 'uniform'); he has been sharing a bed with her throughout almost their entire journey; despite being so close to the castle she was still staying with him in his tavern - it could be just about anything. Though, he was confident at least that the King didn't know about sharing the bed. If he did, Meliodas was sure she would have been whisked away and locked up in the castle a long time ago...and he didn't even want to think about what they would try and do to him!

 _Elizabeth_. His thoughts quickly jumped from her name to her eyes and the way she looked at him. He felt as though she could see right through him and yet somehow always remained warm and accepting, no matter what she saw. With a small sigh, he laid down on the cool, mossy stones; trying to control the butterflies and warm feeling in his stomach.

What _did_ he want? _That's the million dollar question_ he thought as he closed his eyes. But he already knew the answer and it was simple. He wanted _her_. He wanted to fall asleep and wake up next to her. To hold her in his arms in their own house and, maybe, even start a family. The last thought caught him by surprise as he had never considered kids before.

But would she be willing to deal with everything he would bring to a relationship? The death, danger, uncertainty...but most importantly, his Wrath. This was his sin to bear, how could he possibly think that she would ever want to be a part of that.

"But" whispered a small, hopeful voice in the back of his mind, "isn't that her decision to make?" Despite what Ban had said earlier, he wasn't even sure that she felt the same way. He thought that she might but when it came to Elizabeth, he found himself second guessing everything he said, thought, or did. He wanted nothing more than to keep her safe and make her happy; though those things were constantly at odds with each other and it always seemed as though he could do either one but never both.

"Are you alright Sir Meliodas?" said a familiar voice. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't even realized Elizabeth had come up to him until she quietly spoke in his ear. He sucked in a quick breath to hide his surprise and turned towards her with a grin as he hopped off the wall. "Never better, why do you ask?"

He automatically bent down and grabbed the parcels that she had placed on the ground with one hand and with the other, gently took her hand. "I want to ask you something" he began as they started to walk in the direction of his tavern. "O-of course" blushed the Princess "anything!"

"What would happen if I left you in Liones…forever?"

She abruptly stopped walking and pulled her hand from his. "Why would you ask something like that!?" she said with tears in her eyes. She knew that she wasn't as strong as everyone else and that she could be clumsy sometimes. There was also that small issue of her blood being the final key to releasing the entire demon race from their prison. But she had worked so hard to be a better waitress and she was definitely getting better at healing!

"I've tried not to be a burden and I've gotten so much better at…" Her voice trailed off as she caught a glimpse of his face. She tried to calm her racing heart and swallow the balloon of panic that was beginning to swell in her chest. He seemed to be waiting or possibly hoping for a particular response and judging by the look on his face, this response wasn't it.

"Well" she cautiously started again. Elizabeth searched her heart and finally decided to give him a completely truthful answer. "Seeing as we're obviously talking about a theoretical situation, I suppose I wouldn't listen" she said raising her chin defiantly while watching his face. "I would go with you and if you insisted that I stay, I would wait until you had left and then set out to look for you on my own."

"So, knowing how dangerous being around the Seven Deadly Sins can be – what kinds of ridiculous and deadly situations we somehow get ourselves in to – you would come after us anyway?"

She had such a serious look of determination in her eyes as she nodded, that Meliodas couldn't help but believe her. He was well aware of what she was capable of once her mind was made up.

"Oh, ok" he simply replied.

"What do you mean 'oh, ok'? Why would you ask me something like that!?"

"I just wanted to check something" he said vaguely. At that, she knew the discussion was over for the time being. With a sigh and a shake of her head, she placed her hand back into his outstretched one. She wasn't finished this conversation by any means but for the time being she placed her thoughts and feelings on the subject aside and they walked hand in hand back to the Boar Hat.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you so much everyone! It's so cool to see all the reviews! I mostly write on weekends but here's an odd mid-week chapter :3**

After a very successful night in which Meliodas did _not_ end up making dinner and the tavern was packed until last call, Elizabeth slowly made her way up the worn stairs to her shared bedroom. She was exhausted but proud as she had only dropped one plate and it had been empty anyway. She laid in bed waiting for Meliodas and was feeling surprisingly anxious but was having difficulty pinpointing why. "Oh I don't know, maybe it's that conversation from earlier or possibly having to visit the castle tomorrow" she muttered to herself as she rolled over to face the door. The Princess wasn't sure how to tell her family why, despite being just outside of Liones, she didn't want to stay at the castle with them. It was hard to admit and she would never be able to explain it to her father, but the halls and rooms she had once wandered as a child no longer felt safe or familiar.

She looked up as Meliodas came into their room. "I thought you would have been asleep by now" he smiled.

"I was waiting for you."

He looked over at her curiously, "why?"

Perhaps she was a bit overtired. Maybe it was the stress of thinking that he wanted to leave her in Liones or the sad realization that her childhood home was no longer familiar to her. Maybe it was even a mix of all three but she sat up deciding that she was going to continue the conversation from that morning.

"Earlier today, what was all that about leaving me in Liones forever? Why would you say something like that? Are you tired of rescuing me? Or…or of giving up half your bed?" she said, getting worked up as she made a broad sweeping gesture over the covers.

"Whoa, Elizabeth! Just slow down a second! For the record, I have absolutely _no problem_ sharing the bed!" he interrupted with a grin.

At this, the Princess blushed and hugged her knees to her chest.

"Sir Meliodas, I'm just trying to understand why you don't want me around anymore" she mumbled as tears began to spill down her cheeks. "Please" she asked as she placed her chin on top of her knees "tell me."

Every time she cried like this, he could practically feel his heart breaking and a strong desire to severely injure whoever had caused her to cry. Unfortunately, this time it was his fault and he sat down heavily on the bed.

"Is that what you think" he asked in astonishment "that I don't want you around?"

The surprise in his voice was enough that she stopped crying and turned her head to look at him.

"Elizabeth, the only reason I asked you that was because it always seems like _I'm_ the one putting you in danger and I'm worried that one day I won't be there to protect you"

"I'm not sure if you remember this or not but I was in danger long before _I_ set out to find _you_ " she said with a brief, halfhearted grin. She suddenly gasped and her eyes grew wide as a new thought occurred to her. "Or maybe, Sir Meliodas, _I'm_ actually the one putting everyone here in danger and you feel that it would be safer for you if I stay in Liones. If that is the case, then maybe I _should_ stay."

He stared at her in momentary shock. _How can she possibly think this is her fault?_ he thought in confusion. Quickly coming to his senses, he leaned forward stopping just inches from the Princess' face. "Absolutely not! How can I protect you at all if you stay here alone? May the Goddesses forgive me because as much as I hate myself for the danger it puts you in and how selfish it is, I won't leave you and I will always do my best to protect you" he whispered. _Even if it means giving my own life_ he silently finished in his head as he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers.

It was at this precise moment that Hawk came into the room and glowered at Meliodas with such intensity that Elizabeth quickly scooted back a few inches.

 _Amazingly terrible timing Hawk, as usual_ he thought as he rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Oh damn" exclaimed the captain as he snapped his fingers "I completely forgot to pick up some new sleeping ropes in town. I knew I had forgotten something!"

"No problem" smirked the pig "I picked some up for you; extra strong this time."

"Well gee, aren't you just super prepared today" Meliodas muttered sarcastically.

Elizabeth tried to hide her smile and said nothing as she lay back down on their soft bed. She was relieved that he wanted her to stay. _Does this mean that he truly cares for me?_ she thought as she felt the thrill of it course through her body.

After Hawk had left and the lights were out, she turned to face him. Not knowing if he was asleep or awake, she whispered into the quiet darkness. "Thank you for wanting me to stay; this is one of the only places I feel safe anymore. It feels like home." There was no response from the mound of ropes so she turned back and fell asleep.

Though he hadn't responded, Meliodas was still awake and his eyes grew wide at her statement. Waiting until he was sure she was asleep, he rolled to his side and looked at her. He then shifted his gaze past the Princess to stare out the window. The Sin of Wrath tried to make sense of everything that had happened that day but quickly fell asleep to the rhythmic sound of her soft breathing and surrounded by the smell of the new rope mixed with the comfortingly familiar scent of her shampoo.


	6. Chapter 6

"Do you think this colour makes my eyes look weird?" Diane said while holding up a bolt of buttery yellow satin to her face. "I think that's my favourite so far. It looks absolutely beautiful!" exclaimed Elizabeth with excitement. The two ladies had been at the shop debating colour all morning.

"Elizabeth, this is really too much you know; Buying the cloth _and_ having my dress made" mumbled the Sin in embarrassment.

The Princess looked over at her friend with a smile "Diane, it's the least I could do after everything you've done for me! Besides" she continued, watching her friend carefully "you were going to go with King, weren't you? I think he's going to love that colour on you!"

The Sin looked at her and turned such a violent shade of red that the Princess would have been concerned had she not known the cause. "D-do you think he'll say yes?" she stuttered uncharacteristically while twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

"I think that he'd be a fool to say anything else!"

"Well, you _have_ to get whatever that is that you're holding! The Captain will be speechless!"

Elizabeth's cheeks flushed as she looked towards her friend. "W-would you be upset if he and I went together?"

"There was a time I would have said yes" she began thoughtfully "but I don't think that I could have let him go to anyone but you. Besides, he _really_ likes you!" she finished with a grin.

Elizabeth giggled as she turned towards the shop keeper with their order. They left, weighed down with bolts of cloth, and made their way back to the castle to meet with the seamstress.

On their way in, they ran into Meliodas who was on his way out, having just finished his meeting with the King. "Yo, Diane" he greeted "a-and Elizabeth!" he stammered as she stepped out from behind the Serpent Sin. "You seem surprised Captain" grinned the tiny giantess "you know, this _is_ a castle and she _is_ a Princess." Ignoring her, he quickly asked how their shopping trip had gone.

"Quite successfully, Sir Meliodas" the Princess smiled as she moved her bolts of cloth so he couldn't see them.

"How was your meeting with the King?" Diane interrupted with obvious curiosity.

"Oh…Uh, it was fine."

They could have sworn he was blushing.

"Whelp, I'll meet you both back at the Boar Hat when you're done" he announced before quickly leaving. Elizabeth and Diane could only watch as he walked away and look at each other in wonder.

However, at that moment the King came out of his study. "My dear, _there_ you are! I was beginning to think I would never see you again." He looked down to see the cloth and continued. "If I had known a ball would bring you back to the castle, I would have thrown one sooner!"

"We were just on our way to visit the seamstress!"

"Ok, well off you go. You girls have fun" he chuckled with a smile before heading down the corridor.

"Did any of that seem a bit strange to you?" the Princess asked. Diane just shrugged, "what doesn't these days?" she laughed.

...

The same time the girls were looking at cloth, Meliodas was on his way to meet with the King. He didn't want to be late for his meeting but other than "afternoon" and "castle" he had no other details to go off of. _Hopefully someone will be there to meet me_ he thought as he walked up the steps to the main entrance. He was surprised at just how nervous he was feeling, but then, he only had a vague suspicion of what the King wanted to speak to him about. Luckily someone _was_ waiting for him when he got there; "Right this way sir, the King is waiting for you in his study."

The King was standing at the window, nostalgically looking out over the gardens where his daughters used to play when they were younger. As Meliodas came in, he turned to face him but didn't take a seat, nor did he offer the Captain one as the servant quietly shut the door on his way out. This was obviously going to be a privet meeting.

"Yo, Bartra! You wanted to see me?" he said, placing his hands comfortably behind his head.

"Yes, in fact I did. You and I have known each other for many years so I'll be blunt. What do you want with my daughter, the third princess of Liones?"

Meliodas' eyes went wide at his unexpectedly direct question and his hands dropped back down to his sides. "Oh! Well…I…uh…hadn't really…um..."

The King had _never_ seen him like this and was shocked at how unusually flustered the Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins was.

"Ok then, let's start with something a bit easier. Why did you agree to help my daughter once she found you?"

"Well...uh, she said the Kingdom needed my help"

"Why did you save her so many times along the way?"

"Beacuse she would have died!"

"And if she gets attacked again?"

"I'll protect her"

"Why?"

"I will _always_ protect her"

The King continued to question him for a while but eventually the questions were coming so quickly that Meliodas had no time to think and they were only getting faster.

"Why are you still in Liones?"

"I don't know"

"When you leave, will you take her with you?"

"Yes"

"Why?"

"I can't leave her"

"Why?"

"I love her"

The words had slipped out before he even realized he had said them and all he could do was sit there and stare at the floor in shock.

"Ah, now we come to it" said the King softly. "So…you love her?"

Meliodas cursed himself for allowing to be blindsided by such a textbook interigation technique; just how many times had he used that very same technique against other people! However, the words were already out so the damage was already done and he thought it best to just be honest with the King of Liones. "Yes" he replied in a rough, quiet voice.

"How much do you love her? Do you intend to marry her?"

"Yes" he whispered.

"What if we suddenly left Liones and I kept her locked away from you?"

The Sin's head snapped up and he locked eyes with the King. "then I would find her. I will _always_ find her!" he said in a low, serious voice.

"Would you die for her?"

"Yes."

King Bartra let out a defeated sigh, "well, then I give you my blessing; if she'll have you."

"Ok…wait, _what_?!"

"This is hard for a father to admit, but you're better equipped to protect her than I will ever be. However, if you want Elizabeth, I'll give you until the day after the ball to ask her. Otherwise, I'll search elsewhere." Meliodas' eyes narrowed as the King began to list off other possible candidates; they were all foreign kings and princes. Suddenly suspicious, he asked Bartra why he was giving him the chance when there were other "more appropriate" choices. At this, the King finally sat down and let out another, longer sigh.

"I don't deny that it would be very good for the kingdom. However, she's my youngest daughter; not an object to be bartered. I don't think I need to remind you that her sisters know her very well and I've been told, _repeatedly_ , in no uncertain terms that Elizabeth would much prefer this arrangement." King Bartra looked at Meliodas' slightly stunned and confused expression. He chuckled as he got out of the chair and made his way to the door. "Anyway, give it some thought."

 _What the hell just happened?_ Meliodas thought as he started down the hallway. Which, unfortunately, is where he ran in to Diane and Elizabeth. He was still trying to process his conversation with the King and couldn't help the blush that spread across his cheeks as the Princess stepped into view. His heart and mind were racing and he needed to get out of there as soon as possible but didn't want to do anything that might tip them off; the last thing he needed right now was to be questioned mercilessly by any of the other Sins.

He slowly walked back to the Boar Hat deep in thought. He knew now that he couldn't just let her go: not with the other option being to see her in the arms of someone else. How the hell was he going to even start this conversation with the Princess, he wondered. Despite what Ban and the King implied, _does_ she feel the same way?

"Great" he muttered as he roughly ran a hand through his already messy blonde hair, "now I have less than a month to figure that out."


	7. Chapter 7

"Captain, all I'm saying is that we want a night off!" argued Ban.

"So what, we just shouldn't open the bar tonight? Is that what you're trying to say?"

"Yeah, that's _exactly_ what I'm trying to say!"

Meliodas just glared at the Sins standing in front of him but before he could respond, Ban continued angrily.

"You've been a _complete_ asshole to us since that meeting with the King. When was that again; oh yeah, _TWO WEEKS AGO!_ Are you ever going to tell us what the hell happened?!" Seeing the guarded look on his Captains face, he continued "Let me guess you 'don't want to talk about it' or is it going to be 'nothing really' or maybe you'll change it up with a 'I'll tell you later' this time! We're not stupid! Something _obviously_ happened but don't you _DARE_ try and take it out on us!"

"Fine!" At that, Meliodas threw down the cloth he was holding and stormed out of the bar without looking back.

As Hawk crawled out from his hiding place under a table, the Sins looked at each other in shock. They had _never_ seen their Captain act like this.

"Should we go after him?" asked Diane.

"Do you have a death wish?" warned King.

Ban muttered, "maybe it would be easier to just have Gowther read his mind."

"I could," the Goat Sin joined in "he did seem a bit upset. Do you think something is bothering him."

Merlin had been listening and decided to put an end to the conversation. "Gowther, you will do no such thing. Yes, the Captain is upset but let him work through his own problems. As for the rest of you, go enjoy your night off and leave the Captain to himself!"

At the reminder of a night off, they began to discuss their plans. Diane suddenly looked around "Where's Elizabeth?" she wondered out loud.

"She went to get some herbs from the woods" replied Hawk. "She wasn't going far" he added, seeing the look of concern cross her face.

"It's probably a good thing she didn't see that" Diane said as she put a finger to her chin in thought. "Though, maybe the Captain wouldn't have gotten quite so angry if she _had_ been here."

Elizabeth came back not long after; her arms overflowing with herbs. Ban was delighted with the variety she was able to find and they strung most of them up to dry in the kitchen. Afterwards, she looked around for Meliodas and was a bit surprised when she found out that they had the night off. Diane, on the other hand, was very excited and promptly dragged her off for 'girl talk'.

...

"Has he asked you yet?" questioned the Princess.

"Not yet…what should I do?"

"Diane, it's been two weeks. Sir King's so shy around you that _you_ may have to be the one to ask _him_!"

"You're right. I should ask him! Are you going with the Captain?"

"He hasn't asked me yet. I always feel as though he's about to say something but then he just walks away! He seems very distracted...perhaps he doesn't want to go with me after all."

"I _really_ don't think that's the case. Maybe you should follow your _own_ advice and ask him!"

"Oh Diane, I don't know what to do!" suddenly cried the Princess as she burst into tears. The Serpent Sin quickly looked over at Elizabeth in surprise, "what do you mean?"

"I feel like he's been avoiding me for weeks and waits until I'm asleep before coming to bed. I don't understand why he's acting like this." Diane hugged her friend while she sobbed for a bit on her shoulder.

"I know that he hasn't been himself lately but I'm sure it will pass. You sure do notice when something is bothering him, don't you" she smiled kindly. _Or maybe she's the only one he_ _allows to see past the facade_ she thought. As she turned her attention back to Elizabth, who was sitting there with such a look of misery on her face, she felt a sudden swell of anger at her Captain for putting her friend through all of this. "I can punch him for you… _please_ tell me I can punch him!"

"No," the Princess laughed while tears streamed down her face "but thanks for offering."

"What are friends for" she smiled.

After the sobbing stopped, they sat in thoughtful silence for a bit, with the odd sniffle still coming from Elizabeth.

Diane suddenly gasped and sat up straighter. "You love him! Holy crap, you _LOVE_ him!"

"W-what?!" her friend stammered.

"I was trying to figure out why this was bothering you so much. I mean, it would bother anyone to some degree, but you're devastated by this! I can't believe it took me so long to figure it out" she scolded herself.

Realizing that she hadn't responded, the Sin looked over to find Elizabeth quietly staring at her shoes.

"Well?" Diane asked softly.

The Princess took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yes, I do" she confirmed, flushing a deep crimson and not meeting her eyes.

Diane grinned, "well, I guess we should probably be getting back!" she announced brightly. "Besides, I have someone to ask to the ball!" Elizabeth looked a bit uncomfortable as she turned towards her, looking as though she wanted to say something. "I won't tell anyone" Diane interrupted, "I promise!"

The Princess smiled in relief and brushed a few half dried tears from her face. "Ok," she agreed "let's go back."

...

Meliodas finally came back to the tavern long after everyone had gone to sleep. He had briefly considered just spending the night in the forest "but" he grudgingly conceded, "my bed is definitely a lot more comfortable." His mood wasn't any better, _but maybe some sleep and the nice view in the morning will do me some good,_ he thought as he looked over at the sleeping Princess.

After tossing and turning for a bit, he was finally able to fall into a restless sleep.

"So" said the raspy voice "you're back."

This was the second time the voice had invaded his sleep and there was something so infuriating about the distain he could hear dripping from every syllable.

"No, I'm pretty sure that _you're_ the one who's back" he grumbled. The voice laughed. It was the same cruel laugh as before and with a shiver, Meliodas suddenly realized why it was so familiar. "What the hell do _you_ want?" he spat.

"Hell? Hm, how appropriate. Why, I'm just here to talk."

"I have _nothing_ to say to you, father."


	8. Chapter 8

"Well aren't you in a bit of a mood!" his father said with a laugh. "I'm disappointed that it took you so long to recognize me."

"First of all, it's just your voice. Secondly, it's been how many _thousands_ of years?"

"Sadly not long enough to dull the sting of your betrayal...and I had such high hopes for you" he sighed. "I'm not sure where I went wrong, you could have been truly great; you were one of my finest creations and your brothers would never have done something like that. But then, they also wouldn't have brought _shame_ to the entire Demon race as you have by falling head over heels for some pathetic little servant of the Goddesses. Tsk, how very far the apple has fallen from the tree. You know, I can't even make it ten feet without someone bringing that up. It's _very_ embarrassing."

"Yeah, that must be _terrible_ " Meliodas commented dryly "though it pales in comparison to how little I actually give a damn."

"Still as witty as ever I see! You get that from _my_ side, you know."

"Why are you here?"

"As I said before, just to talk. We're getting stronger, you see, and while I can't actually leave this dimension you so kindly helped to trap us in quite yet, I wanted to let you know that you can expect a _heartwarming_ family reunion in the somewhat near future. And I can't wait to meet this soon-to-be fiancé of yours, her soul sounds absolutely _delicious_! Elizabeth, wasn't it?"

"This fucking conversation is _over_ and you won't be getting _anywhere_ near her."

"Or maybe" his father continued with delight "I'll hold you down and make you watch as I _very_ slowly devour her soul. I hear it's actually quite painful. Hmm, yes...that does sound far more entertaining!"

...

Meliodas woke up seething. He felt a hand on his shoulder and, quickly turning towards it with a low growl and radiating pure demonic energy, was brought up short by a pair of startled blue eyes filled with concern. His pitch black eyes, demonic markings and energy went out like a candle flame. He blinked and suddenly, he was back to normal. "I'm sorry if I woke you" he said with a tight smile.

Elizabeth sat up and looked at him closely; she could see the bags under his eyes and the look of absolute exhaustion plainly written across his face. "I think we need to talk" she softly replied.

"It's nothing to worry about; a bad dream. Probably just something I ate."

Elizabeth lifted her hand and softly caressed his cheek. He blushed at the unexpected contact and, closing his eyes, gently leaned into her touch. "We need to talk" she repeated. Maybe it had been her conversation with Diane or the lack of an audience but she wasn't nearly as embarrassed about touching him right now as she usually was.

 _Her hand is so warm_ he thought as he closed his eyes. _I have to protect her from my family, but to do that, I'm going to need my power back._ He was frustrated that Merlin had taken it without even talking to him. And while he could somewhat understand why she had done it, he felt as though he should have at least been consulted first. He was truly afraid that if something did happen to Elizabeth, if he lost her, it would be Danafall all over again and just the thought of it made his stomach twist. _But if I don't get my power back then I'll have no chance. I can't live, no, I_ won't _live without her, so I'm going to have to take that risk._

He opened his eyes and looked at her with such a defeated expression that she began to second guess her statement. That was, until he took her other hand in both of his and nodded.

"You start" he said.

The Princess drew her hand back from his cheek and placed it in her lap. She took a deep breath and desperately hoped that she was doing the right thing.

"Sir Meliodas, I have one thing to ask you and one thing to tell you. First, will you take me to the ball?"

He laughed and she could feel the butterflies in her stomach. It was a sound that she hadn't realized she missed so much; there hadn't really been a lot of laughter in the past few weeks.

"Of course! Though I feel like I should be the one asking you!"

"It's been over two weeks! You were running out of time!" she grinned.

 _Over two weeks!_ he thought in a panic, _has it really been that long already?_

A quick squeeze to his hand brought him back to the conversation. "So" he said as he cleared his throat "that was the question, now what did you want to tell me?" As she looked at him, he could see the fear and panic in her eyes. "What is it? You know you can tell me anything."

She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths before opening them. "Sir Meliodas, I'm afraid…" "Of what?" he interrupted, instantly protective "just tell me and I'll take care of it!" She let out a shaky laugh "No, I'm afraid of what will happen if you don't like what I'm about to say."

He felt both a general sense of dread and his stomach drop as though someone had thrown it off a cliff. "Ok" he swallowed nervously.

"I don't know how else to tell you, so I'll just say it." She closed her eyes and took a few more deep breaths in a useless effort to calm her breathing. By this point the suspense was killing him.

"Sir Meliodas…I love you."

He sat there dumbfounded as she quickly continued "I'm sorry if this is an unpleasant surprise but I just really needed to get that off my chest."

She looked at the Captain in alarm as he started to laugh so hard that his eyes began to water. "I-I'll move my things to the castle in the morning" she mumbled, turning red as she watched him gasp for air. However, as soon as she made a move to get up, he gently pulled her back down onto the bed.

"Look at me, Elizabeth." The Princess was so mortified by his laughter that she refused to meet his eyes. Still chuckling, he placed a finger under her chin and gently lifted it until she was looking at him. She gazed into his emerald eyes and saw that they were filled with absolute relief.

"I'm sorry I laughed. It's just, you have no idea how much sleep I've lost over this! I'm not sure if you've noticed but I haven't exactly been myself lately." She merely raised an eyebrow in response and he flushed. "Of course you've noticed" he mumbled.

"But anyway" he continued as he began to slowly close the distance between the two of them. His finger was still resting under her chin and he slid the rest of his hand until it was lightly resting along her jaw, gently guiding her.

"What I'm trying to say" he gulped, noticing as her heartrate increased and her eyes grew wider. "Very poorly, I might add…"

"Yes?" she breathed

"Is I love you, Elizabeth Liones, with all my heart" he finished as he gently pressed his lips to hers.


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm so glad that people seem to be enjoying the story almost as much as I'm enjoying writing it :)**

The warm afternoon sun was streaming through the bedroom window by the time Meliodas opened his eyes. In his sleepy state, the only things he knew were that he was warm, relaxed, and happy. He smiled as he looked down to see Elizabeth curled up next to him with her head on his chest and he began to think about the previous night.

His mind immediately went to their kiss. It had just been a simple kiss but how strongly he reacted to it surprised him. If felt like fireworks going off in his stomach and even now as he thought about it, he couldn't help curling his toes in pleasure. However, stronger than anything else was the fact that it just felt right. As though a piece he didn't even realize was missing had been returned to him.

They had spent the rest of the night talking until the sky began to lighten. He told her about his family and the visits from his father, though he made sure to leave out the threats against her or even that her name had come up. He told her about Liz and Danafall and how 10 years ago Merlin took his power. She had listened so patiently as he told her about the destruction of her birthplace. After he finished, he had looked up to see a mixture of sorrow and love in her eyes as she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. She then took his hand in hers and asked in a whisper "so, you really _are_ from the demon race?"

"Yes" he softly replied before looking at her, his eyes guarded but filled with genuine curiosity. "Do I scare you?"

She stared at him in surprise "why would you ask me something like that? I love and trust you more than anyone and nothing will ever change that. So no, of course you don't scare me" she finished with a smile.

Though neither of them said anything for a while afterwards, it was a comfortably relaxed silence. It had felt so freeing to finally be able to tell another person some of the things he kept hidden without worrying about them running away in fear or disgust.

He was stroking her hair absentmindedly while lost in thought and enjoying the sunshine, until he looked down and found himself staring into her beautiful blue eyes. "I'm sorry" he exclaimed, "did I wake you?" The Princess smiled and assured him that he hadn't.

"What time is it?" she yawned.

"Early afternoon, I think."

"What! Why didn't anyone come to wake us up?" she said as she sat up.

"Well, I _was_ kind of a jerk to them yesterday so they're probably still upset with me."

He took her hand, guiding her back down on to the bed and pulled her back to his chest. She put her head down with a smile and they lay in bed talking a bit longer until both of them finally agreed that they should probably get up.

"I have to go to the castle with Diane anyway and _you_ should apologize."

"The castle?"

"We have our final dress fitting"

"I should probably go with you to make sure no one's hiding in the change room or, you know, breaks into it while you're in there with no clothes on" he smiled and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Sir Meliodas, I don't think so!" she exclaimed as she flushed a dark pink.

"I'm not sure why you still insist on doing it but you really don't have to keep addressing me so formally, especially after everything we've been through!"

"I-I'll try" she replied as her face went a shade darker.

He flashed her favorite smile and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before finally getting out of bed.

...

The shock of _finally_ seeing their Captain in such a good mood was so complete that the Sins didn't even seem to notice that he and Elizabeth had come down the stairs together. Or, if they did notice, no one dared to comment.

Meliodas jumped up onto the top of the bar. "Everyone, can I have your attention" he called despite the fact that everyone was already staring at him. "I would like to apologize for being such an asshole for the past few weeks."

Ban leaned over to Elizabeth and whispered "did you two kiss and make up, or something?"

He grinned as he watched the Princess' face go from pink to a vivid crimson. "Ah" he laughed "is it the kissing or the 'making up' part that has you so embarrassed?" "S-sir Ban!" she squeaked in denial. Meliodas glanced over and narrowed his eyes as he took in Elizabeth's embarrassed face and Ban's smug one.

"Ban. King; We need fresh meat so get out there and start hunting. Biggest catch wins. Gowther. Hawk; You're going into town to get supplies. You can also pick up a new book while you're there" he added before the Goat Sin could decline. "Diane and Elizabeth, you have your appointment at the castle. Ok! Everyone meet back here when you're done" he finished with a clap.

After everyone had left, he knocked on the door to Merlin's 'lab'. "Ah, I see you're feeling better" the mage said with a smirk. "What can I do for you?"

"I have a few problems that I need your help with. Has there been _any_ sign of the Coffin of Eternal Darkness or any of the keys yet?"

"Not yet, though as I told you, I'll let you know as soon as I find something."

"The last two things are kind of related" he said as he locked eyes with her. "First off, I want back what you stole from me ten years ago."

At this, the smirk vanished and a grave expression took its place.

"I no longer have it. I gave it to the druid elders for safe keeping."

"Well, that does present a bit of a problem."

"Why do you want it?"

"Well, that's where the third... _issue..._ comes in to play. My family has threatened to visit."

Merlin's eyes quickly went wide in surprise before bringing her emotions back under control and covering them with her signature smirk. "That's ridiculous!" she said dismissively, "They're locked in a different dimension."

"Merlin, you know better than most that that means very little. My father has visited me twice in my sleep and I can only assume that he still has servants in _this_ dimension who are carrying out his orders."

" _The_ _General_ visited you! What could he possibly want?"

"Oh, you know, father/son bonding time, punishment for my betrayal, the death of everyone close to me…the usual."

"Does _she_ know?"

"Elizabeth? She knows most of it. Though, they're targeting her in particular so you can understand why I may have left that part out."

"I'll contact the druids and explain the situation. I'm sure they'll want to test you before they just hand you your power back. Though, all of this aside, I'm glad to see that you seem to be feeling _so_ much better than you have for the past few weeks. What could possibly have happened?" she smirked knowingly.

Meliodas just glared at her "whatever you think you know, keep it to yourself."

"I always do" she replied, to which he merely raised an eyebrow.

...

"He said yes!" said Diane excitedly as they walked towards the city.

"I knew he would" Elizabeth smiled "I told you, he likes you a lot. He's just really shy!"

The Serpent Sin rambled on in great detail about how she had asked King to the ball and how he had said yes. The Princess continued asking detailed questions; mostly to keep the topic from turning to herself.

Their conversation stalled as they walked through the city gates and looked around in surprise. "This is amazing!" said Diane in wonder. "It looks like they're just putting the final coats of paint on everything…you would never know that it had been mostly destroyed a few weeks ago! When everyone starts to show up for the ball, Liones is going to look better than ever!"

Elizabeth, with tears in her eyes, merely nodded in response. She was so proud of how the people and the Holy Knights had come together to rebuild the city as quickly as they had.

The girls took their time, wandering the streets and talking with various people. However, they eventually made their way to where their dresses were waiting. They had collaborated with the seamstress so each of their dresses were unique.

As Diane stepped out of the change room, Elizabeth gasped in delight "I _love_ it!" The Sin of Envy blushed as she stood in front of the mirror. The dress was made of a beautiful buttery yellow satin with delicate little sleeves and a full poufy skirt. She gave a little twirl before heading back to the change room with a giggle.

As Elizabeth was changing, she heard a small commotion outside. She popped her head out to see her two sisters waiting with Diane. The three of them were speaking softly with their heads bent close together.

"What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously.

"We're waiting to see your dress, so hurry up slow poke!" Veronica said with a grin.

"Really?"

"Oh, well and we're talking about you, of course. But nothing bad!" she added quickly when she saw Elizabeth's expression.

"We're just talking about Lord Meliodas" smiled Margaret softly. They giggled as she began to studder and turn every shade of pink and red imaginable.

"Hurry up and let's see this dress" Diane said impatiently "the suspense is killing me!"

Elizabeth slowly finished putting on her dress and stepped out of the change room. There was a stunned silence throughout the seamstress' shop.

"Does it look ok?" the Princess quietly asked in embarrassment… _why wasn't anyone saying anything?_

"Not exactly what I would call _traditional_. I'm kind of jealous; the older ladies at court are going to be absolutely scandalized - I love it!" laughed Veronica.

"We need to get you accessories" Margaret smiled.

"No" Elizabeth replied, "I'm going to use a few that I already have, but thank you!"

She finally made her way to the tall mirror and took a long look. "It's absolutely perfect! Thank you so much!" she said turning to the seamstress with a glowing smile.

"It was my pleasure, your Highness."

"Let's take these up to my room" offered Margaret, "We can all change there on the day of the ball and help each other get ready." The girls all nodded in agreement as they made their way upstairs.

Not long after, Elizabeth walked into her own room at the castle intending to quickly grab the accessories she had told Diane and her sisters about earlier. But, upon hearing a noise she turned, gasping in surprise when she saw Meliodas casually laying on her bed.

"What are you doing here?" she wondered out loud.

"Well, I got bored with everyone gone so I decided to come and see how you were making out. I suppose I missed the part where you were changing?" He pouted while his bright emerald eyes sparkled mischievously.

"Were you spying?" she demanded and sighed in relief at his answer. "Good! I want the dress to be a surprise" she said with a smile.

"I'm sure it's going to look lovely" he smiled "though, you could wear a sack and you would still look amazing."

Elizabeth shook her head with a laugh and moved towards the ornate jewelry box. Meliodas carefully watched as she then moved to the large wardrobe to look for shoes. As she was kneeling in front of the closet, he quietly came up behind her and wrapping his strong arms around, grabbed her chest while resting his chin on her shoulder.

"You know, your father would probably have my head if he knew I was here" he grinned.

His breath tickled her ear and sent shivers racing down her spine. With a final squeeze, he released his arms and moved towards the window.

"See you at home" he winked before he jumped.

She ran to the window in time to see him land like a cat then stand and walk away as though nothing had happened. _Why was he in my room?_ the Princess wondered before remembering what she had originally come for. She shook her head in confusion as she grabbed everything and made her way back to Margaret's room, where everyone was waiting.


	10. Chapter 10

_That was a little too close!_ Meliodas thought as he quickly walked away from the castle.

His four step plan had seemed so simple: Break into Elizabeth's room at the castle; go through her jewelry box to see what kinds of things she likes; figure out her ring size; get a ring. Simple and straightforward.

However, as soon as he got to her room and located the jewelry box, he discovered that she didn't actually have any rings. "What kind of Princess doesn't have any rings!" he muttered incredulously. He took a look at the few pieces of jewelry she _did_ have and discovered that she wore mostly white gold and had very simple tastes; nothing too fancy or ornate.

 _Ok_ he thought, _I can work with this!_ His ears perked as he heard footsteps he recognized in the hallway and quietly ran to the bed. He didn't want the Princess to walk in and find him going through her things…it was going to be weird enough finding him in here as it was.

She didn't see him at first. _Though it's not like I'm jumping on the bed yelling 'look at me! look at me!'_ he thought with a snort as the image popped into his head. At the noise, she turned to see him. _This must be one hell of a dress for her to be so secretive_ he thought curiously. Though, he wasn't really kidding when he said that she would look good in a sack, but he was becoming more and more curious about this mystery dress.

After that, he got out of there as quickly as he reasonably could. Now for steps three and four; he needed to figure out her ring size and get a ring. _Agh!_ he thought in frustration, _her bra size I could tell you but her ring size? No...no, I can do this!_

He quickly made his way to the jewelers shop. The heavy door opened with a creak, slamming behind him as he walked in. "What can I do for you sonny? This is the jewelers, the toy shop is next door" said the jeweler sarcastically, with a bored look on his face. _Over three thousand years old and I_ still _get called 'sonny'. Thanks Dad...stupid_ _youthful appearance._ Sometimes it was helpful, such as when it caused his enemies to underestimate him, but most of the time it was just kind of annoying.

Meliodas took a nice soothing breath and grinned as he thought about how Ban would have crumpled to the floor in hysterics, had he been there. "I need a ring for my girlfriend."

"I probably don't have anything you could afford" he said dismissively.

The Captain brought a bag of coins out of his pocket and rattled it as he leaned against the counter. "Try me."

At that, the jeweler's eyes lit up and he suddenly became much more helpful and Meliodas left, not long after, with a slightly lighter coin purse and a freshly made ring tucked safely in his pocket.

...

The residents of the Boar Hat woke the morning of the ball to the rhythmic sound of rain softly falling on the roof but, thankfully, the skies cleared not long after breakfast. "Just enough to make everything clean and fresh!" Diane exclaimed as she and the Princess made their way to the castle. "I'm so excited! I've never really had too many friends that were girls before and now I'm going to a ball with a _date_ and I'm getting ready for it at a castle!" she squealed in delight. Elizabeth couldn't help giggling as the Serpent Sin's enthusiasm was nothing if not contagious.

"I just hope everyone found the clothes we left for them. Though, we did put them right outside their doors…and clearly printed their names on the packages" worried Elizabeth.

"So, are we all going tonight?"

"Sir Meliodas and Sir King are, of course, and I believe Sir Ban and Hawk are coming. Lady Merlin said she had things to do in her lab and Sir Gowther said that he wanted to start reading the new books he picked up in town just the other day."

The rest of the day was pleasantly spent giggling and talking while doing each other's hair and getting dressed. As they were just finishing up, there was a knock at the door. Veronica, who was the closest, opened it to find their father standing on the other side. "I just wanted to drop these off for you" he said as he handed each of his daughters a very ornately carved box "and to let you know that you all look beautiful. By the way, your escorts are here. I wouldn't keep them waiting too much longer" he smiled, "they look nervous enough already!"

Elizabeth gasped as she opened her box to find a tiara inside. They were each different and hers looked as though it was made of white gold and had sapphires and diamonds in it. Margaret quickly put Elizabeth's long silver hair up into a loose bun and placed the tiara on her head. The look was simple, delicate, and it suited her perfectly.

"Are we ready?" said Elizabeth as she flushed with excitement. "Let's not keep our dates waiting any longer" giggled Diane as the princesses all nodded in agreement.

They left Margaret's room and made their way down to the lavish entrance hall, where they could hear Ban laughing and giving Griamore, Gilthunder, and King a hard time. He wasn't bothering too much with Meliodas…mostly because he had tried teasing him the entire way to the castle and hadn't gotten a reaction. Everyone but Ban sighed in relief as the ladies, except for Elizabeth, walked through the final doorway and came down the stairs. Elizabeth had hung back in the upper hallway; she placed her back against the cool wall and took a few deep breaths to try and calm her nerves. She could hear Meliodas calling her name and slowly moved towards the top of the stairs. The Princess looked down to see him dressed in a tailored black suit, staring at her in stunned silence as everyone else had already moved on towards the ballroom.

"So" she smiled as she flushed in embarrassment "is it better than a sack?"

The Captain merely nodded in response, having temporarily lost the ability to speak.

...

He looked up to see her standing at the top of the stairs, surrounded by the softly flickering candlelight. The first thing he noticed was the mystery dress. It was made of a very dark blue silk and was simple but stunning. He liked the fact that it wasn't poufy like all of the other dresses he was probably going to see tonight. In fact, it had no pouf at all. However, it _did_ gently hug every stunning curve and left just enough to the imagination to be provocatively elegant. As she made her way down the stairs, he slowly moved his eyes from the snug strapless top to the slit over her right leg that ran from the floor to her upper thigh, allowing her to move comfortably and giving him an excellent view of her leg. It looked as though there was some kind of overlay to the dress causing it to sparkle subtly in the low light. In combination with the tiara and the very simple diamond jewelry, it created an overall effect that made it look as though she had taken part of a bright starry sky just after twilight and transformed it into a dress.

"E-elizabeth" he finally stammered "you look…I mean…wow! I might have to keep you all to myself tonight. Partly to protect you from creepy old men but mostly because I don't want to share!" he finished with a wink and his classic mischievous grin. She flushed a dark red and took the hand he offered as they walked down the corridor together.

"Are you ready?" he said as the tall ballroom doors slowly swung open.


	11. Chapter 11

Well, he had been right. Most of the evening so far had indeed been spent protecting her from creepy men, both young and old...not that he minded. In fact, he took a perverse pleasure in running interference. The look of disappointment on their faces as they fell all over themselves and the look of absolute relief on Elizabeth's face made it all worth it. _I suppose I understand their reactions...a little bit. But seriously, you would think they had never seen a beautiful woman before!_ he thought; Elizabeth's dress hugged all of her curves in just the right way and the colour made her pale skin glow. She had decided to forego the traditional ball gown in favor of this streamlined version and was the only female in the room not wearing a poufy cupcake dress. _I wonder if she wore this dress for me?_ he grinned.

"You know, at some point tonight, I _would_ like to dance with you" said the Princess, interrupting his thoughts, with a smile.

"Oh, we will" he winked at her.

"D-do you find it getting warm in here?" she stuttered in reply as she flushed a dark pink.

"Why don't we grab something to drink and head out to the terrace for a bit?"

As they approached the refreshment table they saw Ban, not too far away, already passed out in a chair with a bottle of ale still in his hand and Hawk laying on his side beside him, half conscious but still slowly stuffing his face with plate after plate of scraps. They grabbed a couple of glasses of wine and made their way out to the terrace to look at the stars and cool off a bit. On their way out, they passed King and Diane, who were so happily focused on each other that neither of them saw the princess wave.

"Oh, that's better" sighed Elizabeth in relief as they walked out into the cool night air.

"This is one hell of a party!" smiled Meliodas as he placed his hands comfortably behind his head.

"Yes, though there's a part of me, and it's getting larger as the night goes on, that's looking forward to this being done so we can just go home."

He quickly glanced at her from the corner of his eye to see her smiling up at the stars. He cleared his throat nervously and put his hands back down by his sides, causing her to look over at him.

"About that…" he began "I-I'm really glad that it feels so much like home to you. So…uh, I was wondering if you wanted to stay…" She looked at him in confusion and he quickly continued with a rush of words. "If you wanted to of course! If you didn't, I would totally understand. I mean you live in a castle with servants and…"

"Actually, I live in the Boar Hat with friends" she interrupted, gently correcting him with a smile as she leaned over to boldly take his hand.

They stood, silently holding hands and looking at the stars for a bit until, still staring at the stars, Meliodas suddenly blurted out "do you want to get married?" _Smooth Mel...very smooth_ he groaned as he mentally face-palmed himself.

"What?!" the Princess gasped in shock as she quickly turned to look at him and griped his hand a bit tighter.

"Uh, w-what I mean is; Elizabeth Liones, I love you and ever since that day you walked into my tavern and passed out cold, nothing has been the same. And, I'm a much better person because of it…because of you. Will you marry me?"

He stood watching her changing expressions with a wildly beating heart and chewing nervously on the inside edge of his bottom lip. First her blue eyes got very large and she went white, _probably not the best response_ he thought in alarm. Then the colour came rushing back into her cheeks and continued until her face was a deep crimson; _much more like her_ , he sighed in relief.

"A-are you being serious?" she softly stuttered.

"Yup, I even got you a ring" he grinned nervously as he took it out of his pocket. It was a simple white gold band with a central emerald and a diamond on either side of it. He sighed in relief as he slid it onto her finger while tears streamed down her face; it was a perfect fit.

"Yes! Of course I'll marry you!" she exclaimed as she bent down and quickly pressed her lips to his. He hadn't really been expecting her to instigate the kiss but smiled in surprise and gave into it as he felt the kiss deepen, becoming more passionate and warmer...definitely warmer.

 _Warmer?_ he thought, pulling back as he looked at her with wide eyes and gasped.

"Is everything ok?" she asked in alarm.

"Oh! Uh, yes. It's just that…I-I think you're so happy you're glowing"

"Well you did just propose!" she laughed.

"No, I mean you're _actually_ glowing!"

There was a warm glow coming from the Princess and she laughed again as she looked down at herself. "Huh, so I am!" she giggled. Elizabeth looked back up at him as he reached over and brushed her bangs aside so he could plainly see her one blue eye and her one rune eye; it was a combination that he only ever saw when her powers were active, otherwise it was two stunning blue eyes.

"Ok, so...kind of an unromantic plan for our honeymoon, but we're going to visit the druid elders to figure out all of _this_ " he said, gesturing towards her "and to get my power back" he grinned.

"Deal" she said, returning his grin as she stepped back towards him. "Though, I really wasn't finished kissing you" she blushed.

...

They eventually made their way back into the crowded ballroom to find that the Princess' absence had, unfortunately, not gone unnoticed.

"There you are, my dear sweet Elizabeth" wheezed one of the guests as his eyes slowly travelled the length of her body.

"I believe that's Princess Elizabeth to you" Meliodas said firmly.

"Shouldn't you be back down in the kitchens or the stables or wherever it is you work, and not bothering this stunning creature by following her around like a lost little puppy and generally being in the way" he sneered as he stretched out his arm to wrap around Elizabeth's waist.

Elizabeth quickly stepped away from him, holding an arm up to her chest in an unconscious effort to shield herself from his lecherous stares and Meliodas moved to put himself between them, taking a subtly defensive stance. "Don't touch her" he warned quietly but clearly.

King Bartra quickly took notice of the disruption from his raised platform and stood up. "Is something the matter?" he called out as a curious silence fell over the ballroom and people turned their heads to look.

"This servant has been harassing your poor daughter, the youngest Princesses of Liones, all night your Majesty" he wheezed in mock concern as he bowed deeply, all while shooting Meliodas an oily grin.

"I highly doubt that" replied the King, to the shock of most of the people present, as he took in the scene. "Besides, that isn't one of my servants. That's Meliodas, the Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins." He paused to take in his daughter's wide shinning smile and noticed the ring on her finger. "And, if I'm not mistaken" he continued with a grin, "my soon to be son-in-law. So I would try to be a bit more respectful if I were you."

Blanching at the information, the guest silently disappeared into the crowd without looking at anyone as they all began murmuring.

"Captain…" "did he just…" "Meliodas…" "Seven Deadly…" "son-in-law…" "Princess Elizabeth…"

The voices were suddenly drowned out as Diane rushed towards the Princess, shrieking in delight.

...

The remainder of the evening was spent accepting congratulations and well wishes, both sincere and insincere, and trying to avoid the small pockets of disapproving gossipy men and women.

"Sir Meliodas, let's go home" Elizabeth finally said to her blonde fiancé, with a yawn.

"Elizabeth, seriously! We're going to be married, could you _please_ drop the formalities?"

"Er…M-meliodas, let's go home." The lack of 'sir' sounded so foreign to her ears but the wide grin that lit up his face made her realize how much he preferred it. "Ok, but we should probably let your father know" he said as they made their way to towards the throne.

"Father, Meliodas and I are going to go back to the Boar Hat."

"Alright, my dear." He didn't like the idea of her going back to the tavern for the night, but knew how stubborn she could be.

She turned to Meliodas, "Oh, but what should we do about Hawk and Sir Ban?"

"They can stay in one of the guest rooms. Are you sure you don't want to stay at the castle tonight?" the King asked wistfully.

Seeing the look on the Bartra's face, Meliodas turned to the Princess "It _is_ late Elizabeth, maybe you should stay." Both the Princess and the King looked at him in surprise. "Really?" she said skeptically "are you sure?" After a brief pause she turned to her father "can Meliodas stay tonight too?"

At the prospect of his youngest daughter _finally_ spending a night in the castle, he was willing to agree to almost anything. "Of course my dear!"

"You can head up to your room and I'll take care of the unconscious captains of scraps and drinks disposal" said the Dragon Sin with a laugh.

"Will I see you up there?" she murmured to him quietly.

He flashed her a grin, kissing her on the cheek near the edge of her mouth and with a wink, walked away. "I'll see you in the morning" he called to her over his shoulder.

"So, did you know he was planning on asking me to marry him?" she asked in an effort to hide her disappointment, as she and the King made their way down the hall.

"I suspected. That _was_ what our meeting was about."

"Well, that certainly explains the last month" she smiled in sudden understanding as her father glanced over at her in confusion.

Stopping in front of her bedroom door, he turned and gave his youngest daughter a hug. "I'm glad you decided to spend the night and I'm very happy for you. Despite first impressions, he really is a good, honorable man."

"I think so too, Father" she grinned as she opened her door and walked into her room.


	12. Chapter 12

**Whew! Sorry about the delay but that was a much tougher chapter to write...I was beginning to feel as though I had written myself into a corner. But, I think I figured it out. Thanks for your patience! :)**

...

Elizabeth was promptly ambushed by her two sisters, who were sitting around the evening fire waiting for her, as she came through her bedroom door.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Did he get down on one knee?"

"Tell us what he said, word for word!"

"Where is he now? Did he go back to his tavern?"

Elizabeth simply sat down on the edge of her bed and took off her shoes. "I swear I had no idea!" she laughed as she began to tell them about her night. By the time she finished, she had changed into her pajamas and taken her hair down.

"Uh, isn't that the nightshirt I gave you for your Birthday? I thought you had implied that it was a bit too revealing for your tastes?" said Veronica with a raised eyebrow.

Elizabeth looked down at the simple knee-length, "V" neck nightshirt and blushed. "Everything else just seemed very constricting" she mumbled as she quickly put a robe on over top. She had been traveling with the Sins for enough time, quite a bit of which she had spent running for her life, that she had come to appreciate the practicality of a good pair of flat shoes and clothes she could actually move in.

"So, where is Meliodas anyway?" Veronica asked suspiciously, "you didn't really answer us before."

"I have no idea. Father said that he could stay the night in the castle but all he said was that he was going to take care of Hawk and Sir Ban and that he would see me in the morning."

"Uh huh" she replied skeptically, as her youngest sister's face turned an unnatural shade of red.

"Oh Veronica, he'll probably just sneak up here later, like Griamore and Gilthunder do" Margaret giggled.

"What!" Elizabeth shrieked as she spun to face her oldest sister but they just laughed in response. "You mean that Griamore and Gilthunder…what! How long has this been going on?"

"She's so adorable when she's shocked and flustered!" laughed Veronica.

"Actually, there _is_ something that I've been rather curious about." Margaret said as she raised an eyebrow. "Gilthunder took me past the Boar Hat the other day and it doesn't really seem like that big of a place. At least not big enough to fit seven people and a pig. So…where exactly have you been sleeping?"

Veronica's eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise as she carefully watched her two sisters. Elizabeth just stared at her feet and fidgeted. "W-well" she slowly began.

"She's been sleeping with me, naturally!" said a cheerful voice by the window. "Though, before you start giving her a hard time or getting the wrong idea, you should know that Hawk insists on tying me up…tightly, I might add, to make sure nothing happens."

The three sisters spun around with a unanimous shriek, to find Meliodas sitting comfortably on the rough stone window sill.

"How long have you been sitting there" Veronica demanded "and how did you know that this was Ellie's room?"

"Long enough" he smirked as he hopped down to the bedroom floor "but don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your two frequent nighttime visitors. And, to answer your second question, I've been here before."

"Just so you know, the only reason I like you is because you make Ellie happy."

"Duly noted" he grinned. "Though just so _you_ know, as I was leaving the guards area downstairs, I couldn't help but notice Gilthunder and Griamore quietly slip away."

"W-we should probably leave these two alone" stuttered Margaret as she eagerly got up to go. "Just don't get caught" warned Veronica as she followed Margaret out the door, shooting Meliodas one last look before closing it.

"Why do I get the feeling that having two sisters, especially _your_ two sisters, can be a bit exhausting" he commented as Elizabeth ran to hug him.

"I thought I wasn't going to see you until tomorrow!"

"Well, it _is_ after midnight…so you could technically call this tomorrow and it's not like I was going to blatantly inform your father that I would be breaking into your room!" he laughed as he picked her up and threw her gently onto the bed before continuing. "It _also_ occurred to me that since we picked up Ban, you and I haven't really spent a night apart and I wasn't about to change that now. Besides, I've kind of gotten used to sharing a bed with you and I'm not sure how well I would sleep without you there. Unless!" he suddenly gasped in mock horror as he began to tickle her "unless you _want_ me to be sleep deprived" he said over her laughing and shrieking. "What kind of monster are you!? Wanting your fiancé to be all lonely, exhausted, and miserable " he finished, chuckling as Elizabeth was simultaneously giggling and gasping for air.

Meliodas suddenly got up off of the bed and turned to face her. Still giggling, she sat up, her grin slowly fading from her face as she gazed into his sparkling green eyes. "I'm pretty sure I still owe you a dance" he said, the hint of a smile playing on his lips as he held his hand out to her.

"B-but we don't have any music!"

"True…come with me" he said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her off of the bed. They quickly made their way across Elizabeth's room and out the door to her balcony that overlooked part of the gardens.

"Ahh, much better" he grinned as they stood under the bright starry sky. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of the cool night air. She could hear the crickets and the sound of the fountains, splashing merrily in the distance. Her eyes flew open as she felt him take her other hand. "Shall we?" he smiled as he began to lead her in a waltz.

 _She's such a smooth and graceful dancer…it's hard to believe she's so prone to clumsy moments!_ he thought as he looked up at her face. During their second dance, he happened to look down to see her bare feet. "Are you cold!" he asked in alarm. "No, I'm fine" she smiled shyly as her cheeks flushed. He raised an eyebrow, obviously not believing her as he picked her up and carried her back inside. He had intended to gently place her on the rug by the fire to warm up. But instead, tripping on the edge of the rug, accidentally dropped her onto it as he fell onto her. "Are you ok?" he gasped in surprise, straddling her. "I'm better than ok!" she giggled, "for once _I_ wasn't the clumsy one! Though, I was worried I wasn't going to get a chance to dance with you at all tonight" she finished softly.

"I told you we would" he replied, gazing down at her as the shadows around them danced in the firelight. He was momentarily distracted by how the light glinted off of her beautiful silver hair that was fanned out above her but shifted his eyes back to her deep blue ones as he lightly stroked the side of her soft face with his fingertips. She shivered slightly at his touch and he stopped, again concerned as to whether or not she was cold. She laughed lightly in response and the movement suddenly reminded him that he was still on top of her. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he swung his leg over until they were next to each other. They both sat up blushing and moved to lean against the chaise near the fire, using it as a backrest.

"So, there's something I've been wondering all night" said Meliodas as he rested his hands behind his head. "Mmm?" she hummed, gently resting her head on his shoulder. He automatically wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close, before continuing. "That dress, the one you had made…did you wear that for me?"

"Yes, did you not like it after all?" her eyes flicking up to his face in concern as she wrapped her arms around his chest and snuggled in to him.

"I loved it!" he laughed. "I think all the other men liked it too" he finished with a grin. "Well" she smiled trying to hide a yawn, "I certainly didn't wear it for them."

He laughed again as he began to get up. "I should get you to bed otherwise you'll fall asleep right here on the floor!"

"Are you going to stay?" she asked as he picked her up.

"For a bit. Fiancé or not, I don't think your father would appreciate me being here."

"I suppose" she sighed as he placed her on the bed and moved over to the edge, sat down, and began to take off his boots. "I _am_ sorry it took me so long to get here" he said with a smile as he turned back to her. "I realized that I hadn't actually brought a change of clothes with me so I had to run back to the Boar Hat. And, while I was there I grabbed some clothes for Ban before coming back here."

"I'm glad" Elizabeth replied as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his chest, placing her chin on his shoulder. "I just want you to be comfortable" she murmured into his ear. Meliodas closed his eyes and tried to take a slow breath before answering her. "If that's true then you wouldn't be pressing your chest against my back wearing just a thin nightshirt with your arms wrapped around me, whispering in my ear" he said with a smile. She looked at him in confusion and gasped, quickly pulling her arms back to her sides, and flushed in sudden understanding. "Not that I mind in the least" he tried to reassure her as he turned, noticing her wide eyes and red face. "However that _might_ lead me to want to do some delightfully horrible things to you. And I _know_ your father _really_ wouldn't appreciate that" he finished with a smirk.

"W-what kinds of things?" she stuttered nervously.

"You'll find out" he grinned, "but not tonight."

He got up and put out the lights before climbing into bed behind her and wrapping an arm around her waist.

"I'm really sorry about that, I didn't think it would cause such an issue" she whispered, "though you do seem to be feeling a bit more relaxed around me."

"Don't worry about it" he grinned "and I wouldn't go so far as to say that it caused an issue. Besides, I've always been pretty relaxed around you. I think it's more noticeable that _you're_ feeling more comfortable around _me_!"

At this she flushed. "Well, now that I know how you actually feel, I mean, I had no idea previously. You have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met and I trust you more than anyone. But I still say that you seem more relaxed around me."

"I've loved you longer than you could believe and we _have_ been through a lot together. You know I trust you; you know more about me than almost anyone I can think of. And, I'm definitely a lot less stressed now, I mean, you _did_ agree to marry me…unless that was the wine talking" he teased with a gentle poke to her back. He disagreed with her about having the biggest heart. _I could never even come close to you_ he thought but he wasn't about to ruin the moment by pointing that out.

"No, that was _not_ the wine talking" she giggled as she gently elbowed him in return.

They carried on in this way for a bit until the excitement of the day finally caught up with them and they fell asleep.

Meliodas woke a few hours later and, quietly getting out of bed, gently kissed Elizabeth on the lips while she slept and made his way to the window. He couldn't risk being caught here in the morning when they came in to wake up the Princess. "But I was so warm and comfortable" he silently grumbled before jumping. As he was quickly making his way back inside the castle, he first ran into Griamore and then Gilthunder. They all nodded to each other in awkward acknowledgement without saying a word. Quietly chuckling under his breath, Meliodas went into the guest room he had been assigned and pulled down the covers before crawling into the cold empty bed.


	13. Chapter 13

It was dark as the stranger tripped and stumbled his way down the rocky path, making his way towards the deepest part of the wood where there was a pool of sorts. It was stagnant and full of dead rotting things; the animals of the forest avoided the area even during times of severe drought. As he approached, it began to feel as if he were wading through the thick darkness; as though it were a tangible thing instead of merely a lack of light. He bent down towards the surface, whispering some words, before he began to speak.

"Do we really need to do this _here_? It's a pain to get to and it stinks" he wheezed.

"Find me a place this close to the palace where you can get a better connection and the same amount of privacy, and we can speak there. In the meantime, stop whining. So…how did it go?"

"I nearly had her, General. Wh-"

"I highly doubt that" he interrupted.

"Well he is _very_ protective of the Princess!" he wheezed defensively. "Ugh, can't I move to a different body? I can't begin to tell you how much I hate this one! I can't breathe, I'm old, and I'm pretty sure I smell. How am I supposed to abduct the Princess like this?" he grumbled.

The General ignored the complaints and continued. "We need her Jirou, you know that."

"Um, about that…do we really need to _kill_ her? I mean, she's absolutely stunning. Are you sure…uh, we can't just keep her?"

"Of course she's stunning! When have you ever seen a homely Apostle? They're said to take after the goddesses themselves but she's not a pet Jirou; she's dangerous to us. Besides, you know that killing her will crush Meliodas' spirit and his own wrath will slowly begin to destroy him from the inside as it did before."

"Yes, but I was thinking. Wh-"

"Your job is _not_ to think but to do as you're told."

"Regardless…W-what if we converted her?"

"Oh, you've found religion, have you?" he said dryly.

"No. Do you remember when that fool Hendricksen gave those idiots demon blood to drink? What if we gave some to her?"

"You think she'd just voluntarily sit down and sip it like tea, do you?"

"All I'm saying is what if we don't give her a choice? Worse case: she dies painfully. Best case: we use her against the traitor."

"Oh yes, I can't see how your well thought out plan could _possibly_ blow up in our faces. I guarantee the goddesses will find some way to intervene. Hold on…wait a second, am I detecting some jealously on your part?" the General said gleefully.

"What? No!" Jirou wheezed "I-I just think that she'd make an excellent trophy. I mean an Apostle of the Goddesses , who is also a human Princess, _and_ Meliodas' fiancée."

"So he _did_ propose, did he? He always was a romantic. Ugh, I just don't understand that boy!" the General fumed, "I'm glad I only made one like him. He was my first successful creation, you know…if you can even call him a success. I gave him tremendous power but I gave him the ability to love; I mistook love for passion and passion for strength. He began to question authority and eventually he became completely uncontrollable. _That_ is where I went wrong. No! No, _I_ didn't go wrong...He was fine until he met that woman; that Apostle. And now she just keeps showing up, lifetime after lifetime, like a bad penny...no matter how many times we kill her."

"You're rambling again, General."

"Oh, I didn't realize you had more important places to be. By the way, the Demon King wanted me to remind you not to get in Fraudrin's way. Apparently, he still wants Meliodas and doesn't want his capture to be compromised."

"So the King _doesn't_ want to kill the traitor?" he said, throwing his arms up in disgust. "If it were anyone else, they would have been dead hundreds of centuries ago. Meliodas was always his favorite" Jirou grumbled.

"Oh, I'm not saying that he doesn't want to kill him, I just think he wants to punish him first. And I'm not saying that your idea to force demon blood on the Apostle is a poor one…it might actually be kind of entertaining, but we need to think this through and have a plan. Otherwise I guarantee that it will backfire spectacularly, if we even decide to do that. But first thing's first, _get me that Apostle!_ Keep in mind; this is your _last_ chance. Bring me a younger body and I'll make the switch for you but don't mess this up or you will be disposed of, like your useless older brother. Do I make myself clear?"

The connection was suddenly broken without waiting for a response and Jirou was left alone again by the pool. "Fine!" he yelled in frustration as he set off back up the trail.

...

"I can't believe I didn't wake up" said Ban in amazement as he picked up some toast. "So, you're saying that I slept through the ball _and_ you dragging me to my room? Thanks for the change of clothes, by the way."

"No problem" Meliodas grinned.

As two servants passed, they both looked at Meliodas and then turning back, began to whisper fervently to each other as they walked away.

Ban watched the exchange with some interest and turned back to his dining companions with a raised eyebrow. "Captain, that's been happening all morning and I'm beginning to feel as though I missed something kind of important last night."

"Meliodas, what did you do?" demanded Hawk between mouthfuls, glaring at him while he chewed his scraps.

"Why do you always automatically assume that _I_ did something?" he muttered in annoyance, glancing up as Griamore came into the room and looked around.

...

"Come on Ellie, wake up!" Veronica said as she poked he sister.

Elizabeth merely groaned and pulled the covers overtop of her head as she rolled over.

"Should we?" said Veronica as she turned to Margaret.

"We may have to" the eldest Princess grinned as they took a running start before jumping on to the bed. They were rewarded with a muffled shriek, followed by laughter.

"Think of this as payback Ellie! Remember when you used to do this to us _all the time?_ "

"Yes, I do" she laughed as she flipped the blankets off of her head with a grin.

"Besides" said Margaret, "breakfast has been served and the guys are probably already down there."

At the mention of their respective beaus, the Princesses looked at each other and blushed.

"It seems like only yesterday when we were running around causing mischief; some of us more than others" Veronica laughed, looking over at Elizabeth "and hiding from the Governess. And look at us now…we're all going our different ways" she sighed sadly.

"That was going to happen eventually" smiled Margaret kindly.

"Besides, we'll always be there for each other and love one another. I mean after all, we _are_ sisters! Now, let's go get some breakfast" finished Elizabeth.

...

Gilthunder looked up as Griamore stepped out onto the balcony.

"So…Princess Margaret, huh?"

"Princess Veronica, hmm?"

"You know, you guys look pretty well rested for people who didn't get a lot of sleep last night!" said Meliodas cheerfully as he casually walked out to join them. The atmosphere was a bit tense until they all looked at each other and began to laugh.

"They're quite a handful, aren't they? Though, I think you've probably got it the toughest, Meliodas" Gil laughed.

"Why do you say that?"

"I'm not sure if you've noticed but Princess Elizabeth has quite a knack for getting herself into trouble."

At that, Meliodas smiled as he bit his tongue. What he really wanted to say was ' _says the guy who aided the demons that took the royal family hostage and helped them pursue Elizabeth with the intent to kill her...oh yeah, she got_ herself _into_ that _one all right!'_ However, he quickly reminded himself that Gilthunder hadn't really had much of a choice and that he felt truly terrible about the last ten years. So instead, he grinned a bit wider and replied with "then we're very well suited because I seem to have that very same knack."

They all looked over as the dining room door swung open and the three sisters came in laughing.

"As always Gentlemen, it was a pleasure" Meliodas called over his shoulder as he walked back into the dinning room and headed straight for Elizabeth. "Good morning Ladies" he said as he came up to them, subtly resting his hand on Elizabeth's behind and gave a slight squeeze.

"G-good morning Meliodas" stuttered the youngest Princess as she flushed a dark pink.

"I still don't really like you" Veronica muttered as she glared at him. He merely grinned back at her.

"Hey Elizabeth, can I talk to you for a sec?" he asked as he grabbed her hand and led her away from the others.

"Is everything ok?"

"I'm not sure. We need to leave for Camelot very soon; something weird is happening there. And, something about last night isn't sitting well with me…it doesn't feel safe here."

"Oh, I see. When do we leave?"

He grinned as he took her other hand and pulled her closer. "We're leaving right after lunch" he whispered into her ear before placing his finger under her chin and drawing her even closer, placed a soft kiss on her lips. "I've already told the others. I also told your father; _that_ was a fun conversation. So, go quietly tell your sisters and grab a few things that you'd like to bring."

"Well, at least I get to pack this time!" she smiled.

...

Ban and Hawk were watching the exchange with wide eyes and the Fox Sin finally turned to the pig and said "Master, now I _know_ we missed something last night!"

"I-I can't believe he kissed her! I'm going to _kill_ him! Trample him _right_ where he's standing!" Hawk fumed as Diane walked over.

"Tsk, how dumb can you guys be?" said the Serpent Sin as she came towards them in time to hear the end of their conversation. "I can't believe you haven't heard!"

"Heard what?" Ban asked suspiciously.

"The Captain and the Princess are engaged, stupid."

"I-I did notice that Elizabeth isn't addressing Meliodas so formally anymore?" mumbled a stunned Hawk.

"Huh. Well, I guess the Captain didn't waste his chance after all" chuckled Ban with a satisfied smile.


	14. Chapter 14

After they ate, Elizabeth brought her sisters up to her room as she was packing, to tell them that she was leaving. Naturally, they argued with her but she was quickly able to make them understand that this was the only choice. At least, she was able to make Margaret understand. She wisely didn't mention Meliodas' concerns that the palace was no longer safe for her, instead focusing on Camelot.

"I still don't see how this is any of our concern" grumbled Veronica "they have their own Holy Knights, why can't they deal with it?"

"Veronica!" Elizabeth gasped "King Arthur helped save the Kingdom and Lady Merlin healed Father, allowing him to take the throne again; we owe them a great deal! Helping them in their own time of need is the very least we could do!"

"I just don't understand why _you_ have to go."

The youngest Princess of Liones gave Veronica a firm look as she stood straight and tall with her chin tipped up ever so slightly. "Because Meliodas is going and wherever he leads, I will follow. I love him and I will _continue_ to stand by his side, now and forever" she said in a clear, commanding voice as her hair whipped around her, blown by an unseen force. Her sisters were staring at her with wide eyes until they heard a slight gasp and the three of them turned towards the sound as the glow coming from Elizabeth slowly began to fade. Meliodas was standing at the door leaning against the frame and looking more than a little shocked.

"Meliodas!" cried Elizabeth, rushing towards him. "Are you ok?" she said as she knelt down and placed a hand on his chest.

He looked at her as he covered her hand with his own. "I'm fine…I just wasn't expecting to see or hear anything like that when I decided to come up and see if you needed help carrying anything. Though that's not to say that it wasn't nice to hear, all the same" he grinned, "but we're going to have to get a handle on your powers and try and figure out how to keep them in check, otherwise, you'll just act as a big shiny beacon." He gazed at her and saw the brief sceptical look that flashed across her face. "I don't think you _quite_ realize just how much raw power you give off when your Apostle powers are active. I haven't felt anything like that for a _very_ long time" he chuckled as he squeezed her hand.

"You better protect her" growled Veronica as Margaret tried to place a hand on her shoulder, but she just shook it off. "I just can't believe that Father agreed to this! If _anything_ happens to her it'll be your fault and we will _never_ forgive you!"

"Veronica, that's enough!" said Margaret softly. "Sir Meliodas, I know that you will do everything you can to keep our youngest sister safe."

"Of course I will. Though, I'd like to ask something of you both" he answered in a serious tone, "please do _not_ say anything of our leaving or our destination to anyone…even if they specifically ask. Just tell them that you don't know."

"Is everything ok?" Margaret began to ask before Veronica interrupted. "See! You haven't even left yet and Ellie's already in danger! How are we supposed to just let you take her?" she said crossly as she moved to stand in front of the door.

Meliodas' patience was beginning to wear thin and he finally snapped at her. "She isn't in danger because of _me_. She's in danger because of who and what she is and what she can potentially become! The sooner you realize that and get the hell out of our way, the safer we'll all be!"

Margaret placed a firm hand on Veronica's arm and guided her back a few steps. "I'll explain everything I can, though there's still a lot I'm unclear on myself" she said into her ear.

"I'm so sorry, but I really do _have_ to go" Elizabeth said as she approached them with tears in her eyes, pulling each into a firm hug before walking out of the room, hand in hand, with the Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins.

"B-but Margaret!"

"Shhh" she soothed as she watched them leave, with a worried frown on her face, "They'll be fine, just let them go."

...

A few hours later, Elizabeth, Hawk, and the Sins were standing around a table in the Boar Hat while Hawk's mother was quickly making her way across the countryside.

"We'll be there as soon as we can, but we need to see the Druid Elders first. It shouldn't take too long, so just hold out until we get there" the Captain explained to Merlin and Gowther. She merely nodded once in response before teleporting herself and the Goat Sin to Camelot.

"Do you think they'll be ok?" said Elizabeth as she turned to Meliodas. "They'll be fine" he grinned, but she felt her stomach clench slightly as she looked into his eyes and saw the uncertainty; it was very deeply buried, but it was there.

"I-I'm going up to the balcony for some air" she quietly announced before turning towards the stairs. Meliodas watched with a slight frown on his face until she was out of sight. At this point, everyone else had moved off to do their own thing: King and Diane were in the corner, laughing and playing cards; meanwhile, Ban had grabbed Hawk and some ale, and was heading out to sit on the front porch. Before the door closed, he locked eyes with the Captain and giving him a toothy grin, visibly gripped Hawk a bit tighter and winked as the door clicked shut.

Meliodas shook his head and chuckled as he quickly ran to the kitchen. He grabbed some fresh bread, cheese, a couple of apples, tea, and some ale before eagerly making his way upstairs to the balcony. He opened the door and stepped out into the sunshine to find the balcony empty. He put the picnic down and looked around in surprise which was quickly turning into concern. "Elizabeth?" he called as he walked towards the railing. "Elizabeth?" he felt a knot beginning to form in his stomach as he quickly walked back towards the door, flinging it open to find a very startled Princess on the other side. "Elizabeth!" he sighed in relief.

"M-Meliodas! Is everything ok?"

"It is now. I came up to see how you were doing and you weren't where you said you'd be."

"I'm sorry! It was just so nice and warm out that I decided to change into something a bit lighter so that I didn't get too hot."

He suddenly noticed that she had indeed changed…back into the waitressing uniform. "Uh, you _do_ remember that you brought a bunch of your own clothes with you, right? Why would you change into that? Not that I'm complaining!" he quickly finished as she looked at him. She flushed and looked down at herself. "I don't feel quite so out of place when I'm wearing this and it's just so much easier to move around in than my long dresses" she replied, so softly that he almost hadn't heard. He smiled as he shook his head and grabbed her hand, "Come on" he laughed, "I brought us a picnic."

...

The rest of the day passed pleasantly enough for everyone and soon, one by one, they began to disappear off to bed. Meliodas slowly made his way up the worn stairs after he finished wiping down the bar, to find Hawk waiting for him in his room. Elizabeth was in the bathroom getting ready for bed, and the Sin of Wrath looked at the pig in confusion.

"What's up?"

"I'll tell you what's up…you're getting tied extra tight with triple strength rope, that's what's up!"

"Seriously? Hawk, we're getting married! Don't you think we can lay off the sleeping ropes?"

"No way! Until the wedding, I'm going to be keeping my eye on you. No funny stuff with the Princess! She may come to her senses and change her mind and I will _not_ have you laying your perverted hands all over her! If you don't like the ropes, I could just sleep here on the floor and keep an eye on you that way."

"Um, no. That's just creepy and you snore worse than Ban does. I'll stick with the ropes."

Hawk was just finishing up the knot as Elizabeth came out of the bathroom, "Hawk! Why is Meliodas tied up again?"

"It's for your own protection."

"But you know he would never hurt me."

"I know. This is to keep his grabby, perverted tendencies in check until you're married. After that, you can tie him up yourself."

Meliodas grinned and looking past the pig, made eye contact with the Princess and began to wiggle his eyebrows suggestively. Elizabeth immediately blushed a bright red and the two of them burst in to laughter. Hawk, upon realizing what he had just said, coloured and rolled his eyes. He began to grumble to himself about maturity levels as he stomped out of the room. Still giggling, Elizabeth turned out the lights and climbed into bed.

"Would you like me to loosen them for you?" she whispered into the darkness. "Nah, I'm ok." She could hear the grin in his voice and smiled as she rolled over to face him.

"You know" he began, "you should get Hawk to teach you some of these knots. They may come in handy"

"Oh he taught them to me a long time ago" she grinned "I just don't like the idea of having to tie you up."

"So, you're not worried about my…what did Hawk call them…perverted tendencies?"

"Not really. Besides, I know that you could break out of those ropes any time you wanted. They're essentially nothing more than a well-meant reminder" she yawned.

They were silent for quite a while until he sleepily whispered to her. "Hey, Elizabeth?"

"Yes?" she mumbled.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Meliodas" she sighed contentedly.

They both drifted off to sleep, lulled by the gentle rocking of the tavern as Mama Hawk quickly carried them towards their next destination.


	15. Chapter 15

Veronica woke up in very much the same mood as she had fallen asleep. She was angry at the temporary loss of her younger sister but couldn't decide if the underlying reason was jealously or concern. _Why does_ she _get to go?_ the Princess thought miserably as she unconsciously crossed her arms. Getting dressed, she realized that she was in no mood to deal with the smiles and well intentioned inquiries from the rest of the family. Deciding that it would be a much better idea to take her meal in her room, she let the maid know to bring her breakfast upstairs. Not too long after, there was a knock at her door and one of the servants came in with her breakfast.

"Who are you?" Veronica said, looking him over curiously "I don't believe I've seen you around here before."

"My apologies, your Highness. I was recently promoted to the kitchen a week ago and your usual maid had other business to attend to" quietly replied the handsome young man. He was tall and rather well built, with sandy brown hair and dark brown eyes.

"Tell me about yourself" she said, wanting, or rather needing to have a conversation that had nothing to do with either the Sins or the youngest Princess.

"Oh! Your Highness, there really isn't much to tell!"

"Nonsense"

He smiled as he began to tell her about his parents and growing up in a small, rural village. How he had come to work at the castle and would send most of his pay home to help support the family farm. "And what about you, Princess?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I've heard around the castle that you're an accomplished swordswoman and quite a fierce fighter. Is it true that you single handedly bested the captain of the Seven Deadly Sins himself at Byzel and rescued Princess Elizabeth?"

"You may have heard a slightly exaggerated tale" she blushed.

"I highly doubt that, your Highness" he smiled at her. "Though, I was _extremely_ surprised to hear that Princess Elizabeth had arrived back at the castle…and with the Seven Deadly Sins in tow, no less!"

"Oh, she was back but she's gone again. Off on some stupid quest" she replied, her fragile good mood spoiled.

"I would have thought they would have taken you, your Highness, considering that you're highly skilled and more than capable of holding your own. I mean no disrespect, but Princess Elizabeth seems…well, too soft spoken and fragile for any sort of real quest. It just seems like an odd choice."

"I'm not permitted to have an opinion on the topic" she grumbled peevishly.

"I hope this quest isn't anything too demanding or dangerous. Do you think your sister will be safe?"

"It shouldn't be too bad. They're helping the Kingdom of Camelot with something."

"Camelot! My, that's quite a distance!" he said, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh, it's not that far. They left yesterday afternoon and it should only take them a couple of days to get there."

"I see. Well, I should probably stop interrupting your morning with my rambling and let you enjoy your breakfast. Besides" he grinned, "I have no doubt that the kitchen will start sending out people to look for me soon!" he finished as he began to make his way to the door.

"Wait! You haven't even told me your name"

The man stopped, bowing very low, and smiled. "It's Jirou, your Highness."

Less than ten minutes after he left, another servant came rushing in holding a breakfast tray. "I am _so_ sorry this took so long, Princess" she cried, "somehow every single egg in the kitchen had been crushed…all of them! I've never seen anything like it!" The servant looked down at the table, confused to already see a tray of food sitting there.

Veronica looked up at her in surprise "did you not send that new servant up here half an hour ago?"

"Miss? There are no new servants."

"You must be mistaken."

"Your Highness, we haven't had any new kitchen help in months."

Veronica looked at her in momentary confusion when she suddenly blanched. "Get my father and sister, _NOW!_ " she suddenly screamed as the wide eyed servant ran to the door. "What have I done?" the Princess whispered to herself, slowly sinking to the cold stone floor.

…

"Shhh. Hawk, it's ok" soothed Elizabeth.

"It is _NOT_ ok! That bastard tried to shove me in the oven!"

"I was just checking the size of it. It's not like it was _on_ " the Captain smirked.

"Meliodas" the Princess sighed, "that wasn't very nice."

" _Nice?"_ interrupted the pig, "No, not very nice was when that pervert snuck up behind you and grabbed your chest with both hands, right in front of me. This? This was downright barbaric!"

"Yeah, well you bit me!"

"You deserved it!"

Elizabeth sighed as she rubbed her temples. She could feel the headache starting to set in. _Though, what do you expect, listening to this for the past two hours_ she thought. "Would you two _please_ stop goading each other? It's beginning to give me a headache."

"See! Now you've given Elizabeth a headache!" Hawk screeched at the Captain.

"Me? You're the one who's yelling!"

Elizabeth quickly gave up and started towards the kitchen to make some tea. "Something warm to drink, some fresh air, and some peace and quiet is what I need" she mumbled to herself as she filled the mug with boiling water and threw in the teabag. "I'll be up on the balcony" she called over her shoulder as she started up the stairs.

"Ok" they replied in unison before Meliodas put the pig back into a headlock and Hawk went back to trying to bite the Captains leg.

She could feel the sun and the breeze as soon as she opened the door. It was getting so claustrophobic in the bar and at least out here, she could hear the birds chirping. She slowly made her way to the railing and happily sighed as she sipped her minty tea in silence while watching the passing scenery. _I'm sure Meliodas and Hawk are feeling a bit of cabin fever; they're not usually quite_ this _bad_ she thought.

Looking up at the clouds, Elizabeth was reminded of when she was younger; when she and her sisters would spend hours laying on a hill by the castle and try to see animal shapes in the clouds. Feeling suddenly nostalgic, she began to look for them now. As she was staring at a particular cloud that looked a lot like a sheep, she suddenly noticed a bird that was a ways away and seemed to be flying rather quickly. _It looks a bit like an eagle_ she thought before turning her attention back to the clouds. She jumped slightly as a small yellow finch landed on the railing beside her and began to hop about. "I'm sorry" she murmured gently with a smile, "I didn't actually bring any food up with me." The bird looked up at her with its small obsidian eye and abruptly flew away. "He seems to have been in quite a hurry" she said to herself as she tilted her head up to watch the finch, just in time to see a brief flash of blue and a pair of massive talons. The Princess felt something hit her head and before she could even scream, everything went dark.

…

Hawk was watching Meliodas, Ban, Diane, and King discuss what may be going on in Camelot when everyone started to get a bit fidgety. The pig noticed that the Sins were becoming more and more agitated until; "Something's wrong" Meliodas said as he suddenly stood up. "Where's Elizabeth?"

"She went up to the balcony, remember" replied Hawk.

"I'm going to check on her" he said as he made a quick move towards the stairs.

"Oh no, you don't! You just want to touch her some more" growled Hawk, putting a strain on their newly agreed upon truce.

"No, something's _very_ wrong" he said, his eyes going wide as he ran for the stairs and, taking them three at a time, slammed open the door to the balcony. "Elizabeth?" he yelled, racing towards the railing. "Elizabeth!?" _Maybe she's just downstairs changing again_ he thought as he tried to calm his racing heart, which nearly stopped completely when he looked down. There, at his feet, lay the shattered remains of her cup of tea and some blood...but Elizabeth was nowhere to be found.

…

She could feel her head throbbing and knew it would be a lot worse when she finally opened her eyes. _What happened?_ she thought, trying to delay opening them for as long as possible. _Did that eagle crash in to me?_ All she could remember were the talons and then the pain. _The others must have found me and put me to bed._ _Poor Meliodas, he must be worried sick!_

"Ah, our beautiful guest is finally awake!" said a strange voice. Her eyes flew open and Elizabeth tried sitting up, to find that she was unable. She looked down as best she could and suddenly realized that she was tied securely to a chaise.

"Who are you and what do you want?" the Princess replied angrily as she glared at the young man who merely gazed back indifferently.

"Now now" he gently chastised, "is that any way to speak to your charming host?"

"Charming? Do you have _any_ idea who is going to come looking for me?" she said as the throbbing in her head got worse.

"That, my dear Princess Elizabeth" he grinned coldly, "is _precisely_ what we're counting on."


	16. Chapter 16

**Warning: This chapter gets a bit dark, but don't worry!**

 **Also, thank you so much for such amazing reviews! They make me giggle and I'm just so happy that people seem to be enjoying the story!**

…

As Hawk looked up, he saw Meliodas slowly coming back down the stairs and immediately noticed his unnaturally calm demeanor and blank expression.

"H-how is she?"

"She's gone."

"W-what do you mean she's _gone_?"

"I mean she is _FUCKING GONE!_ " he yelled, his calm demeanor shattering as a black mist began to curl off of his body.

At the sound of his raised voice, the other Sins came rushing over.

"What the hell is going on?" Ban said as he took in the Captain's appearance with wide eyes.

"I went up to check on Elizabeth and the balcony is empty except for her broken cup of tea and some blood" he told them as he quickly began pacing back and forth, leaving a trail of the curling black mist in his wake "and she's _gone_!" He stopped his pacing and was quiet for a moment, "I'm going after her."

"Captain, stop" said Ban, "I want her back as much as anyone but we don't know who took her or where they are. Right now, you need to get your power back…then we can find her. Who knows what we'll have to face!"

"I can't believe I'm actually going to say this but…I agree with Ban" said Diane. "Get your power back and then we'll make them pay" she finished with a snarl.

"Alright" Ban interrupted as he took control of the situation "we continue with the plan. In the meantime, let's all get outside and start training. No one takes our Princess!"

As everyone else went outside, Meliodas grabbed some ale and sat down at a table. It took every ounce of control he had to just pour the frothing amber liquid into his cup while not crushing the bottle into dust.

"Aren't you coming Captain?" said Ban as he popped his head back into the room.

"I don't want to hurt any of you by accident " he replied quietly as he stared at the table. Ban just stood back, watching him and waiting. " _SON OF A BITCH_ " Meliodas suddenly screamed as his frustration boiled over and he threw the empty bottle, shattering it against the bar, quickly followed by the table. He sank to his knees and drained the cup in one large gulp. "I'm going to _kill_ them when I find them" he whispered roughly.

"I know" Ban said as he came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "and we'll help you."

"If anything happens to her…"

"Hey, I know I don't need to remind you but she's a lot tougher than she looks and she's got that whole freaky healing thing going on; she'll be ok. Master already told his mom so she's picked up the pace…we should be there in a few hours. We'll be outside if you change your mind about training" he said as he walked back to the door.

"Ban…" The Fox Sin paused and looked back as he placed his hand on the door handle. His Captain hadn't moved or even looked up from the floor. "Thanks."

"Anytime Captain" he grinned, "you'd do the same for us."

…

"I wouldn't be looking so smug, if I were you" she muttered savagely as he passed close to her.

"And I wouldn't be quite so hopeful, if _I_ were _you_ " he laughed.

She watched as he removed the sheet from an old mirror paneled wall. _Mirrored wall?_ she thought. Suddenly realizing that she had no idea where she was, Elizabeth began to take a closer look around. As far as she could tell, they were in some sort of abandoned manor home. The plaster was slowly falling off in moist clumps and the once colorful and elegant wallpaper was peeling from the walls in long ragged strips. What must have, at one time, been a stunning ballroom had been reduced to a mere shadow if its former self; the sun shone through the broken stained glass windows, glinting off of the tarnished brass and dirty crystal of the large chandeliers. Nature had obviously started taking back the old house a long time ago, as the ceiling had collapsed in some parts and bright green vines grew, slowly taking the place of the rotting blue velvet curtains and there was thick green moss growing between the jagged cracks and overtop of the once polished creamy alabaster floor.

"Where are we?"

"Oh please, like I'm actually going to tell you!" he said to her as he was wiping the mirror with his sleeve.

"What are you doing?"

He ignored her and continued wiping. When the mirrored panel was as clean as it was going to get, he leaned forwards and whispered some words in a language the Princess had never heard before. She gasped as the panel suddenly went black and she could hear her captor inhale in anticipation.

"So?" a voice suddenly said. The Princess looked around quickly only to realize that the voice was coming _from_ the mirror.

"General, allow me to introduce you to Princess Elizabeth."

"General?" she blurted out in confusion, "General of what?"

"Why, the Demon Army my dear girl."

She paled slightly before continuing in the most regal voice she could muster, "what do you want and why am I here?"

"Want? Why do I have to want something?"

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and shot the old mirror a look. "So this is a social visit?" she said incredulously as she pointedly looked down at the coarse ropes that held her firmly to the worn chaise.

"I don't recall saying that I _didn't_ want something, I'm just annoyed that that seems to be the first question everyone always asks" he said, his voice tinged with amusement. "You're right Jirou" the General said, turning his attention to the young man, "She _is_ stunning. She's a spitting image of the original…and the only one since the original to be chosen as an Apostle, how very interesting!"

"So" Jirou began eagerly, "what do you think of my plan now?"

"I think your plan may have merit"

"So, I can go ahead?"

"Yes…this should prove to be very interesting."

"I'm going to go grab my things!" he shouted gleefully before running out of the room.

"What plan?" Elizabeth demanded.

"Well, I'm sorry to say, by which you can take to mean that I'm not sorry at all, that you will never be my daughter-in-law…though, depending on how this whole experiment turns out, I may just make you _my_ wife instead!" he laughed before the mirror cleared and she was left alone. She had no idea what "the plan" was or what experiment they were talking about but she _did_ have a feeling that whatever was happening was going to go very poorly for her.

"Please Meliodas" she whispered to herself frantically as the tears began to cloud her vision, "find me soon!"

…

"You know, if you're going to destroy the bar area with a table, the least you could do is help us rebuild it" Hawk muttered, moving another piece of wood into position as Ban hammered it into place. "And this glass is going to be imbedded here _forever_!"

Meliodas didn't respond, though whether that was because he hadn't heard or he didn't care, the other Sins couldn't be sure. The Captain had moved to a new table and was currently sitting behind a low wall of empty bottles of ale, staring past them out the window at the rain that had started to fall, as he took another long drink from his mug. _Matches my mood_ he thought despondently. _Sure, I have my power back now…but what good is it doing me if I can't even find her._

The test that Merlin had mentioned had turned out to be a lot harder than he expected, though he had done it. _I can't just turn off my emotions_ he thought, remembering the test _but I can master my wrath_. He would have been depressed enough about the whole experience had Elizabeth been there to comfort him, but now that she wasn't even there, he was a mess.

"Let me know when we're back around where Elizabeth was stolen" he said as he slowly got up from the chair. The others watched as he drained the rest of his mug and made his way up the stairs.

"Should one of us go up there with him, to make sure he's ok?" said Diane.

"Nah" replied Ban, "what he needs right now is time to himself. He needs to think."

…

Meliodas reluctantly stood at the door to their bedroom and leaned against the doorframe. He wanted to go in but her things were in there and he didn't need a reminder of how much he felt he had let her down. Eventually relenting, he pushed himself off of the frame, making his way to the bed and laid down. The same thoughts kept swirling around his brain: _If only I had been faster. I should have been there. Who took her? What do they want? Why didn't they take me instead?_ He was sure that she had been taken by a lesser demon, that power, the feeling of it was something he would recognize anywhere. "Power…" he said, suddenly sitting up. He bolted out of the bed and ran down the stairs.

" _POWER!_ " he yelled as he slid to a stop in front of the other Sins. They merely looked at him through wide eyes as though he had finally lost his mind. "He's gone crraaaazy" Hawk whispered loudly.

"I haven't gone crazy" he snapped "but I know how we can track Elizabeth!"

"Captain, I know this whole situation has been hard for you and it must be a bit jarring to have just gotten your power back after all these years, but you're not making any sense" King said as delicately as he could.

Ban narrowed his eyes while taking in the Captain's expression. "I want to hear him out."

"She doesn't have the best control over her powers so they go off on their own from time to time. When they do, she essentially emits pure, raw, Goddess energy. Hell, even when they're not active she emits Goddess energy, although at much lower levels. Anyway! So, we go back to the area she was taken and look for traces! _And_ , now that my power's back, I'm even more sensitive to it than before! I'm going to get some rest before we get there!" He had quickly said the whole thing in one long breath and then ran back up the stairs, leaving the Sins to stare at each other in confusion.

Meliodas lay in bed for a while, tossing and turning, until he finally gave up and switched his pillow with Elizabeth's. Her familiar scent was enough to calm him and he soon fell asleep.

 _Well, this is a weird dream_ he thought as he looked around the room. From what he could tell, it looked like a ballroom that time and nature had destroyed. In the center of the room appeared to be a comparatively new chaise that looked very much out of place and, upon closer inspection, he realized that there was someone tied to it…someone with long silver hair.

"Elizabeth" he whispered hoarsely before he tried to run to her, only to find his way blocked by an invisible wall. "Elizabeth!" he yelled as she quickly turned her head towards his voice.

"Meliodas! Where are you?" she cried.

"We're on our way, don't worry. I'm coming for you!"

"How sweet, how touching. But who said you could speak to my guest?" said a voice.

"Father, I should have known you were behind this. What do you want?"

"Again! Always with the 'what do you want?', 'why are you here?', 'please don't eat my soul'"

"Yeah, poor you" the Captain muttered sarcastically, "What. Do. You. Want."

"Do you want the short answer or the long answer?"

"I don't have the time or patience to deal with your stupid games!" he growled

"Short answer it is then! To cause you such excruciating pain that you wish for death."

"What?"

"Oh, _now_ you want the long answer. Well, let's see. I want you here to witness this."

"Witness what?" Meliodas slowly replied with a sinking feeling.

"Funny you should ask. I was trying to figure out how to make you pay for your betrayal, to both the King and myself, and at first I was just thinking of killing your darling lover over there, again. But then I realized that she just keeps coming back, so then I thought 'maybe I could just eat her soul'. However, it occurred to me, that I can't do that because I'm in a different _fucking_ _dimension_. You can understand how _frustrating_ that is, can't you?" The General took a deep breath before continuing.

"So, here we are. Jirou's been bugging me for a while about trying this 'experiment' but it wasn't until I saw her that I realized what a perfect opportunity this would be. You see, we're going to find out what happens when we inject demon blood into an Apostle of the Goddesses! Isn't this exciting!"

"No" Meliodas whispered in horrified disbelief.

"Oh yes! This should be quite interesting, don't you think? If we can turn her into a demon, then I think I'll take her as my bride, you know, just to rub some extra salt in _that_ wound, and then _you_ can just live with the knowledge that she will _never_ be reborn and that you will _never_ see her again. You see, when I said excruciating pain…I wasn't talking about physical pain, no, the emotional pain is the stuff that truly and permanently wounds us. So, relax and enjoy the show, knowing that there is absolutely nothing you can do to prevent it. It's frustrating to be merely a spectator, isn't it... _son_."

"No!" the Dragon Sin yelled as Jirou approached her with a syringe. He began to beat and claw frantically at the invisible wall, trying to find a crack or ledge…anything.

"I wouldn't bother wasting your time trying to get to her, because you're not actually here. That barrier you can't break through is actually the glass of the mirror and your physical body is wherever you happened to have left it."

"Don't you dare touch me!" she hissed as he got closer and she struggled in vain to try and loosen the ropes that held her down.

"You're only going to make this more painful for yourself" the General laughed. "She's got spunk, I'll give you that!" he commented to the Sin of Wrath who watched in horror as Jirou suddenly made a quick downward motion and stabbed her in the thigh. Meliodas held his breath as he watched her eyes go wide and blood slowly began to trickle out the side of her mouth. He woke with a yell, but not before he could hear her begin to scream in agony.

…

At first, her eyes widened in shock that this was actually happening. She could taste the metallic tang of blood and then the pain began. She could hear someone screaming and, with a start, realized the sound was coming from her. However, Elizabeth suddenly felt a warm soothing heat begin to wash over her like a balm and she sighed in relief as the pain quickly subsided. Jirou had moved back a few feet and was looking at her in astonishment and, for the moment, there were no more sarcastic comments coming from the General. She didn't know what had happened to Meliodas but she was sure that he could no longer see her, and for that she was thankful.

"Well" eventually the voice from the mirror said, "this is indeed going to be very interesting; keep injecting her until she has no more energy left to heal herself and lets just see how long this will take, shall we. Contact me when you've made some progress" he said just before the mirror went from acting as an interdimensional telephone, back to a normal mirror.

"Hmm" smirked Jirou cruelly as he casually approached the bound Princess and ran his finger along the top of the chaise, "I think this is going to be a _very_ long night."


	17. Chapter 17

Meliodas was sitting up in bed, staring at the wall in shock when the other Sins came bursting through the door.

"We heard you yell" cried King, "is everything ok?"

When the Captain didn't respond, Diane slowly approached the bed and waved a hand in front of his face. "C-captain?"

"Oh for fuck sakes" growled Ban as he stalked over to the Dragon Sin and slapped the Captain hard enough to knock him out of bed. Crouching down in front of him, he got inches away from the Captain's face. "What the hell has gotten in to you? Pull yourself together; the Princess needs you!"

At that, Meliodas slowly brought his glazed eyes up to meet Ban's. "He has her" he said softly, his eyes wide. "Oh god…the screaming" he whispered as he suddenly lurched forward and retched.

Diane and King looked at each other in fear and confusion; they had never seen him like this.

"Ok, you guys go downstairs. He'll be alright, he's just obviously had too much ale. I can take it from here!" Ban laughed over his shoulder.

Diane and King looked at each other and chuckled nervously "he's going to have one hell of a hangover" King smiled weakly as they slowly made their way down the stairs.

After he was sure they were gone, Ban shut the door and came back to his captain. "Ok, we all know that you haven't had nearly enough to get tipsy let alone drunk. Who has her?"

"My Father"

"What's this about screaming?"

"They made me watch…the blood…the screaming!"

At that, Ban slapped him again, more gently this time. "Ok, you're not making sense. You need to be the Captain of the Seven Deadly Sins _now_. Get up and let's go save Elizabeth before something happens to her!" he said, grabbing a glass of water from the nightstand and splashing it in his face.

Meliodas suddenly shook his head as though coming out of a trance and looked sharply up at Ban with clear emerald eyes, "Did you _slap_ me?"

"Twice" he replied with a toothy grin.

"Huh. Did I say anything?"

"You said 'He has her' and then kept going on about blood and screaming. What the hell happened?"

Meliodas' face blanched. "We have to find Elizabeth, _NOW_!" he cried as he leapt for the door. Ban moved in front of him, blocking his way. "First you have to tell me what's going on. What the hell are we walking into?"

"They're doing an experiment to see what happens when you inject an Apostle with demon blood." He went on describe the 'dream' and by the end, Ban's face was noticeably paler and frozen with a look of horror. "Holy shit" he whispered.

"Yup…I'm going to kill somebody" Meliodas said as his eyes went black, the demon mark appeared over his eye, and black mist began to curl off of his body. "Now, let's move."

…

She was exhausted. Elizabeth had spent the night healing herself again and again. She knew that she could only do it a few more times before she was completely spent, at which time the Princess instinctively knew she would die. At least he had removed most of the ropes, so instead of being tied to the chaise, her ankle was tied with a long lead, attaching her to one of the columns holding up the remaining portion of the roof, with her hands bound behind her back. Not that it mattered, as she didn't even have the energy to try and run away from him.

She had a momentary breather as her captor, the man the General had referred to as Jirou, was out of the room. _Meliodas will find me as soon as he's able_ she thought frantically _I just need to make sure I survive that long!_

"Did you miss me?" Jirou called cheerfully as he came back into the room. She made no answer as she lay on the cold broken floor, just focusing on breathing and trying to come up some sort of plan. "You _are_ still alive over there, right? The General would be very upset with me if I wasn't here to document your death. Oh good!" he said as he approached her, "you _are_ still alive! Are you ready for round 87? I must admit, you're stronger than I ever thought you'd be!" The young man came towards her with the syringe and she made a split second decision to hold on to whatever healing power she had left. _I may need it later, and what if Meliodas gets hurt while he's coming to find me_ she thought.

This time, when she felt the pinch of the needle, she welcomed the pain with open arms and it took everything she had to _not_ heal herself. By this point she was so exhausted that she couldn't even scream. She just lay on the floor in the fetal position, gasping as sweat began to bead on her forehead. "Fascinating…" mumbled Jirou as he took notes. She had allowed a small amount of healing to drip through her defenses; just enough to not lose herself to the demon blood.

"Have you made any progress?"

 _The General_ she thought, _he's already contacted him._

"Yes Sir, see for yourself!"

"Oh my! Yes, that look certainly suits you!"

 _What look?_ she thought in confusion

"Jirou, bring her a mirror. Elizabeth, stand up so I can see you properly." When she didn't move, his voice took on a sharper, more commanding tone. "I said _GET UP_." She slowly got to her feet, suddenly noticing that they were bare, and stood facing the mirror on exhausted, unsteady legs. "Much better. Good girl" he cooed as she felt a ball of anger starting to form in her stomach. "How fascinating! It appears that you're truly compatible with the demon blood." She suddenly caught a glimpse of herself in one of the full length mirrors and gasped before her legs gave out and she crumpled to the ground. A pair of black eyes and demon marks stared back at her. _No!_ she thought frantically as the tears started to form at the corners of her unrecognizable eyes, _this can't be happening!_

"Jirou! Bring the grey demon blood."

"S-sir" he replied hesitantly, "are you sure?"

"Do it."

"Yes Sir."

"If you were compatible with the red demon, then you should be able to handle the grey demon" the General said, turning his attention back to Elizabeth.

"No." she mumbled as she rolled to face the mirror. "I saw what that did to Hendrikson and I want nothing to do with this."

"You have no choice, my dear."

"Are you ready?" said Jirou, almost apologetically, as he approached her.

"I have a quick question before this happens" she said, trying to buy some time. "That body, it's not yours, is it?"

"No, of course it's not."

"Is the original owner still in there or did you eat his soul?"

Jirou looked very uncomfortable as he began to fidget "he's still in here, I can't eat souls."

"Enough" interrupted the General, "get on with it."

Jirou came towards her and got her with the syringe before she could even move. She quickly gasped before everything went dark.

 _Where am I_ she thought in a panic. She looked around in the darkness and noticed a small pinprick of light in the distance. As she ran towards it, it got larger until she was suddenly standing in a beautiful garden. She looked around at the ivy hanging from the lush green trees and how the grass was so thick and soft that she wanted nothing more than to lay down on it and rest. And the flowers! She had always loved the gardens at the castle and how they were always so colourful, but the flowers here looked as though they were made of velvet and the colours were so rich and saturated that she was sure they couldn't possibly be real. She had just bent down to smell them when she heard someone speak. "I was wondering when you were going to get here, you held out a lot longer than we ever expected!" said a musical voice as the Princess spun around to see a stunning woman with long silver hair standing behind her, then she noticed the wings.

"Are you a Goddess?" she asked in astonishment .

The woman laughed and smiled warmly, "yes Elizabeth, I am."

"A-am I dead?"

At this, the Goddess frowned slightly "no, not yet."

"Am I here because I can't be an Apostle anymore?" the Princess said as the tears began to stream down her face.

"Of course not" she smiled kindly "you will always be an Apostle. However, your role will change."

"You mean I can't be a healer anymore?"

"Elizabeth, an Apostle is a healer by nature; you can't change that part of you, it's impossible. However, with everything you've been forced to endure, you will also become a warrior. Do not fear" she said as she saw the look on the Princess' face, "you will figure out how to be both. A warrior doesn't mean that you go looking for trouble. Just think of it as more of a protector."

"I-I think I could do that" she said softly.

"The added bonus" she continued with a wink "is that you'll finally be able to be with your soulmate forever. The demon blood will stop you from aging...but first, you must make it your own. Otherwise, it will overpower you."

"How will I know when I've made it my own?"

"Trust me" she smiled as they began to walk back towards the edge of the garden, "you'll know. Now, you must go back before it's too late" she said as she turned with a wave and walked away. Elizabeth turned towards the darkness. She looked back at the garden and suddenly felt an almost overwhelming need to stay. However, Meliodas' face flashed in her mind and she quickly thought of her friends. Taking a deep breath, she stepped back into the cold, unwelcoming void.

She woke with a soft gasp and looked around wildly. There was no Goddess and no garden, unless you counted the moss on the floor and the vines hanging from the ceiling. But, she was disoriented and couldn't figure out where the rain was coming from. Finally, her eyes focused and she looked up to see Meliodas over her, tears falling from his closed eyes. She reached up and gently caressed his face. "I'm ok" she whispered hoarsely. His eyes flew open in shock and he grabbed her, pulling her close to his chest. "I thought I lost you" he whispered, "you were just lying there in a pool of blood…I thought I lost you!" He gently placed her back down and helped her sit up. He slowly lifted a hand to her face and with a finger, softly traced the demon marks on her skin. He looked as though he was going to say something but at the moment, she really didn't want to hear him say anything about her eyes or marks.

"Meliodas" she interrupted, her voice serious, "how did you find me? Was there anyone else here? Where are the others?"

He looked at her, surprised by her tone. "I followed your energy signature and the others are waiting outside. You're safe, there isn't anyone else here" he said as he helped her up.

"Then it's already too late" she whispered. "Leave!" she cried as she pushed him away, falling back to her knees at the sudden loss of support. "You _have_ to leave! This is a trap!"

"It's ok Elizabeth" he said in confusion, trying to comfort her, "you're safe now and I'm not leaving here without you!"

"You should have listened to her, as she's quite correct...and it's far too late for that" said a voice from behind them. They looked to see the Holy Knight Dryfrus/Fraudrin coming down the stairs. "Though I must say, Elizabeth, demon blood becomes you quite nicely! If the General hadn't already laid claim to you, I would have myself. Now, be a good girl and step away from the traitor."

Elizabeth forced herself to stand and made her way in front of Meliodas, effectively blocking him. "I won't! I'm not a prize and the General doesn't own me. Neither do you."

"Strange" he mused, "aren't Princesses usually used as prizes? I thought I remembered that from the stories you used to love as a child…or maybe that was your sister. No matter, now stop being so stubborn and step aside. I have no wish to hurt you…but I _will_ if you leave me no choice" he finished with a cruel grin.

"Where are the others" she continued, ignoring his warning, "the General and Jirou?"

"I can see you're going to be very tiresome" he sighed. "The General was never actually here, only in the mirror; and I'm sure he got tired of watching you just laying there, not moving. I had Jirou wait in the other room until now" he said as his fingers twitched. Jirou had quietly moved into position and at the silent signal, suddenly launched himself at the Princess, knocking her to the side, and away from Meliodas.

Meliodas moved to pull him off of her but was quickly attacked by Fraudrin. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to kill you, _Captain_ " he sneered.

The Dragon Sin opened his mouth to respond as Jirou began to scream. Fraudrin and the Captain both spun around to a surprising sight. Jirou was on his knees with Elizabeth standing over him. She had her hands on either side of his face and the two figures were bathed in a bright golden light. The light quickly faded and Jirou crumpled to the floor.

"What the hell?" yelled Fraudrin as he took a step towards the Princess. Elizabeth turned to fully look at Fraudrin/Dryfus and both he and Meliodas were stunned into silence. The new demon markings were still there but instead of black markings and eyes, hers blazed a bright shimmering gold. _Like looking into the sun_ Meliodas thought in wonder. What was more astonishing were the two large golden wings that had appeared.

"Dryfus" she said solemnly, "I will burn Fraudrin from your body as I did Jirou." She began to walk towards the possessed Holy Knight and Meliodas saw a flicker of fear quickly cross his face before he turned to try and get one last attack in at the Dragon Sin. The Captain was distracted and knew he was slower to react, so he braced for impact but when none came, he looked up. Elizabeth had very quickly moved across the room and was standing in front of him having created a jagged golden shield using her newly acquired demon powers. "You will _not_ hurt those I love" she whispered angrily while her eyes blazed a fiery gold, just before Fraudrin turned and ran.

She quickly looked around the room and once she knew they were safe, finally turned to Meliodas. She smiled in relief as she gazed into his shocked green eyes and then promptly collapsed to the mossy floor.


	18. Chapter 18

She was dimly aware of being carried and people talking over and about her. Some were crying. She wanted to reach out and comfort them, but her arms wouldn't respond. Suddenly, she felt someone gently brush her hair away from her face and heard a familiar voice murmur lovingly into her ear, "it's alright; you're safe. You can rest now." And so she did, or at least she tried to.

"Hello?" she called into the darkness "I know you're there."

"Hello Elizabeth" he spat with distain.

"What do you want, General? You've failed and now you'll have to find some other way to break the seal on the Coffin of Eternal Darkness, considering that you no longer have the pure blood of an Apostle of the Goddesses."

"True" he muttered, "that may have been a small oversight on my part. Though, you don't have to sound quite so smug about it."

"Get out of my head" she said firmly and with a flash of golden light and a yelp, he was gone.

…

"Shhhh!" Hawk said loudly, "Elizabeth is still resting and you shouldn't be bothering her!"

The mental fog was slowly beginning to lift and she was starting to become more aware of her surroundings, though, she still hadn't opened her eyes. The bed was so soft and she could feel the waves of heat coming off of whatever she was laying next to.

"Hawk" Meliodas mumbled, "I swear if you aren't quieter or you say that _one more time_ , we'll be having pork for dinner tomorrow." The pig squeaked once in fear and quickly left the room. She heard the door click shut as he tightened his grip around her waist and murmured into her ear "I was wondering when you were going to wake up."

 _Of course,_ she thought, _I'm laying next to Meliodas._ "How long have I been asleep?" she croaked as she snuggled into him.

"Oh, only a week and a half" he replied lightly

"What!" she blurted in surprise as she quickly sat up and opened her eyes.

"Hey, I was still snuggling here!" he laughed in relief as he sat up with her.

She smiled at him but it quickly faded as she began to remember. Leaping out of the bed, she ran to the bathroom and turned on the lights. Quickly looking in the mirror, she was relieved to see two blue eyes staring back at her. She turned around to see Meliodas leaning against the door frame, watching her with a heartbroken expression.

"I'm sorry" he said softly, "for not finding you in time and for not being able to protect you in the first place."

"Stop" she said as she sank to her knees, "this is _not_ your fault!" She rested her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. "You can't protect me from everything Meliodas. Besides, the Goddess told me that my roll would have to change. She told me that I would now have to be both a healer _and_ a protector."

He kissed her forehead and suddenly pushed her back so that she was looking at him. "Wait…what? What do you mean 'the Goddess told you'?"

"I spoke to one of the Goddesses"

"In a dream?"

"Of sorts, I suppose" she mused, "I was on the verge of death…but there was such a beautiful garden" she sighed, "I really wanted to stay but I knew that if I had, I would never have seen you again. The darkness was so cold and lonely in comparison, but it brought me back to you."

He blanched and, mumbling "I'm so sorry" over and over, pulled her back towards him and tightly held her close again. They stayed like that, each enjoying the closeness of the other, for a while, until she gently pushed him away. He looked hurt until she lightly brushed the side of his face with her fingertips; "I just want to take a shower" she smiled.

"Oh? Do you need help washing your back?" he grinned halfheartedly, "or I could just hold the soap for you."

"No" she giggled, "but you _can_ change the sheets. If I've been laying there like _this_ for the past week and a half, they're going to need it!"

...

Elizabeth sighed in relief as she felt the hot water hit her body and she scrubbed at her skin to remove the remnants of her time in captivity until her skin was pink and sore and she just watched all the dirt wash down the drain. Afterwards, as she got out of the shower and changed into a nightshirt, she looked in the mirror and gasped in shock when she looked down to see a small pair of shimmering golden wings tattooed on the skin on the front of her right hip, near her panty line. Elizabeth stumbled out of the bathroom and Meliodas ran over to her. "What's wrong?" he demanded as he helped her back to the bed.

"I-I have a mark" she softly replied as she looked up at him, stunned.

"Are you hurt?" he said, confused.

"No, I-I have a mark, like you do" she said as she lightly brushed his dragon tattoo, which was covered by his shirt.

"What! They marked you?" he fumed, "uh, w-what are you…" he began in surprise as she slowly drew the right side of her nightshirt up to her panty line. His eyes went wide as he took in the shimmering Goddess wings. "I don't really know what to say, except that at least yours is a lot nicer than mine" he finished with a relieved grin, crawling into the freshly made bed and lying down next to her. "You know, the big difference between our marks is that mine was put on me because of something I did, which was unforgivable, while yours was gifted to you by the Goddesses. The marks remind us that we have unique and special abilities, but they come with a heavy responsibility" he said as he curled his body around her back and wrapped his arm around her waist. "And, just so you know" he mumbled into the damp hair at her neck, "I'm never letting you go again" he finished, pulling her even closer.

"Well, you won't have to, _ever_ " she softly replied with a content sigh.

Noticing the inflection, Meliodas propped himself up on an elbow and looked at her warily, "what do you mean 'ever'?"

She turned to face him; "well, the Goddess _also_ told me that the demon blood would stop me from aging. U-unless you're worried that you'll get bored of me or don't want me around that long" she frowned slightly as tears threatened to form at the corners of her eyes.

His eyes grew wide as the realization of what she had just said sunk in. "You mean I won't have to lose you over and over, wondering if _this_ life was the last time I would ever see you again? I am absolutely 100% ok with this! I guess my fathers plan kind of backfired, didn't it? Maybe I should send him a thank you note." he grinned as he began gently stroking the side of her face.

But his smile faded as he looked into her eyes, watching them grow slightly darker as he felt her heart speed up. He moved his hand and began to lightly stroke her lips with his thumb and was rewarded with a small sigh as she parted them. Leaning down, the Sin of Wrath began to softly kissed his way up her jaw as he slowly made his way to her ear. "I thought I lost you" he whispered roughly. "You did, but I found my way back to you" she gasped in reply. His other hand suddenly slid up her body and firmly grasped her chest, through the nightshirt, and she was surprised at the low moan that escaped her lips.

Meliodas drew back sharply and they stared at each other, lightly panting; their eyes bright with a mixture of desire and excitement. The seconds passed but it felt like minutes, until an unspoken agreement was reached to a likewise unspoken question. Elizabeth propped herself up on one elbow as the Captain leaned down, their lips crashing against each other. Supporting her head in his hand, he gently guided her back down to the bed and she reached up, weaving her fingers through his messy blond hair, pulling him even closer.

With his one hand still on her chest, she could feel his other hand slowly traveling up her thigh and gasped slightly as she felt his hand give a gentle squeeze to her rear. Overwhelmed with the various sensations, she softly sighed his name against his lips and he leaned back. She noticed a look cross his face and before she knew what was happening, he had gotten out of bed and was walking towards the door. "W-where are you going?" she panted as he flipped the lock on the bedroom door and took his shirt and pants off, leaving just his boxers, as he turned off the lights. "Now we don't have to worry about any pig shaped interruptions" he grinned as he got back into the bed. The room was darker but they could still see each other clearly enough, and the moon was just starting to come out.

"Now" he grinned, "where were we? Ah yes!" he said as he straddled her legs. "Are you ready to finally find out what some of those delightfully horrible things I mentioned to you the night of the ball are?"

"I'm not afraid of you" she giggled breathlessly.

"Good" he grinned as he started up the bed towards her.

…

They awoke the next morning to Hawk, pounding on the door "Why is this door locked? Meliodas, what the hell are you doing in there? You better not be touching the Princess!"

Meliodas looked down at Elizabeth, who was awake and snuggled up to his bare chest, and raised his eyebrows as he very quietly mumbled "well, it's a bit late for that now!" and placed a finger to his lips. Trying very hard not to laugh, the two of them silently got out of bed and quickly put some clothes on. Elizabeth swiftly remade the bed and laid down as the Dragon Sin snuck towards the door, silently turning the lock. He quickly joined her back on the bed, and the two of them were careful not to touch each other as Hawk came bursting through the door.

"Why was the door locked?" he growled at the Sin of Wrath.

"Are you sure it wasn't just stuck? It seemed to have opened for you just now" he replied with an innocent look.

Hawk looked at the door and back at the Sin, who was laying on top of the covers, fully clothed with his hands resting behind his head. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion; sure, the Captain looked innocent...a little too innocent. "Yeah…well…you shouldn't be bothering the Princess; she needs her rest."

At that, Elizabeth propped herself up on an elbow, "Hawk, he wasn't really bothering me and I feel as though I've had enough rest to last me quite a while!"

Forgetting all about his distrust of the Captains intentions, he ran around to the other side of the bed. " _Elizabeth!_ You're awake! Oh, we were so worried about you! Come downstairs and Ban will make you something to eat…you must be starving!"

She and Meliodas grinned at each other and, holding hands, made their way down the stairs.


	19. Chapter 19

**Sorry for the long wait! There were a few parts that I kept rewriting because I wasn't happy with it :)**

...

While they were still on the stairs, Elizabeth quickly turned back to Meliodas and whispered "how much do they know?"

"Nothing" he quietly replied, "your marks were gone by the time they ran in."

Suddenly realizing that due to the fact that they were standing on different stairs, they were the same height, Meliodas quickly closed the small distance between them and placed a slow lingering kiss on her lips. Wondering what was taking them so long, Hawk came back up the stairs but his view was blocked by Elizabeth's body. "Is everything ok? What's the hold up?" he said impatiently as Elizabeth turned around with flushed cheeks and a slightly dazed expression. "Oh, sorry Hawk!" she smiled, gripping the Captains hand a bit tighter as he entwined their fingers.

As they came into the bar, everyone rushed them. Diane sobbed in relief as she gave the Princess a tight hug and King smiled at her as he patted the Serpent Sin awkwardly on the shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. Ban was hanging back and staring at them with an odd expression on his face. He looked down at their hands and suddenly his face exploded into a wide toothy grin and he winked at them.

"Don't just stand there, Elizabeth must be starving!" Hawk yelled at him and the Sin of Greed turned, walking into the kitchen laughing loudly. The Princess looked at Meliodas who just rolled his eyes and chuckled; "He knows" he murmured to her. She was confused until the Sin of Wrath pointedly looked down at their hands, "he's always been annoyingly observant." She flushed a dark red and looked away but, Meliodas was relieved to note, didn't try to let go of his hand. As though suddenly occurring to her, she turned back to him, "where are Lady Merlin and Sir Gowther?"

The bar went silent as everyone's eyes shifted towards the Captain, "we should be in Camelot in the next few hours" he informed her in an unconcerned voice.

"But I thought you said that I had been unconscious for a week and a half. Shouldn't we be there already?"

"Well" he hesitantly replied, "I needed to make sure you were...uh, stabilized before we started moving. We only started traveling a couple of days ago. I had the others stay in town so that you would have the quiet you needed" he finished.

"Oh, I-I see."

His eyes glazed over as he remembered that awful week he watched over her, afraid that he would lose her as it appeared that the demon blood wasn't finished its work; she would randomly start screaming and thrashing as her powers went wild. Even if he never heard it again, the sound of those screams was forever embedded in his brain. It was a horrible combination of terror, anguish, and rage…and he never wanted to hear it again, for fear that his heart would break. He had sent the others into town as he wasn't sure exactly what would happen. At first, it was a few times an hour and he would hold her down until the screaming and thrashing stopped, and she would begin sobbing. He would wrap her in his arms and murmur how much he loved her in her ear and kiss her while gently wiping away her tears but she just wouldn't wake up. It slowly got less frequent until there wasn't an incident for over two days; at that point, he knew that they had waited for as long as he dared. He went to town the very next day, found the other Sins, and began the next stage of their journey. By the time she had regained consciousness, the Princess didn't seem to remember anything and he wasn't about to bring it up.

He quickly shook his head to find Elizabeth looking at him in concern. He smiled as he wrapped his arm tightly around her waist. "I was just worried" he grinned dismissively as Ban came in with a tall stack of golden pancakes, drenched in maple syrup. The smell was making her mouth water and she hadn't realized how hungry she was until that moment. After she quickly devoured the meal, Meliodas went to lead her back upstairs to rest some more. She began to protest until he whispered into her ear "I have no idea what we're walking into and we _all_ need to be well rested and prepared. " She lightly flushed and without another word, they headed to the stairs.

"You two crazy kids behave yourselves" Ban called after them.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Hawk yelled at him.

"Nothing Master, I'm just teasing them."

The Captain and the Princess quickly left the bar area before the Fox Sin and the pig started screaming at each other and went up to their room. Pausing at the door, she turned to him "Meliodas, do you think can we sit on the balcony instead? I think I'd like some fresh air."

"Ok, but if you get taken from there again, I'm tearing the whole thing out!"

She giggled as they went up another flight.

"It's cute that you think I'm joking."

"Oh, I know you're serious" she laughed, opening the door. She sighed as the sunlight touched her skin and, grabbing the Captains hand, dragged him towards the railing while he laughed at her enthusiasm.

"It's just so nice to be out in the open! I was in the darkness for so long that the light is such a relief." She turned to see him standing beside her with that look on his face that made her heart ache because she knew that he was hurting. With a small smile, she sat down with her back against the railing, pulling him down with her. "You know" she began softly as she put her head on his shoulder, "I consider you part of that light and as long as I have you…well…nothing else really matters."

He looked at her adoringly as he brushed her bangs aside, "Elizabeth, you have always been and will always be my light; the very reason I exist." She sighed contentedly as she snuggled into his arms and they enjoyed the sun together.

...

An hour or so later, Elizabeths eyes suddenly flew open as she abruptly pushed herself away from Meliodas. He was on his feet in a second, asking if she was ok. She was on all fours, sweat dripping from her face, gasping and looking as though she was going to be sick. And though she could see his mouth moving and his forehead creased in worry, she couldn't hear anything. She tried to smile at him, to let him know that she was ok, but it came out as more of a grimace and she glanced over to see him say the words "what is happening?" She forced herself to her feet and looked towards the South to see Camelot; or rather what was left of Camelot. Half of the city was still standing but the other half had been leveled and was currently being stomped on by a huge gangly looking monster. "Demon" she hissed out painfully between breaths as she pointed. He spun around and she heard him swear as her hearing began to return. However, with that, she could hear the people screaming in terror as they ran for their lives. Meliodas turned back in time to see her fall to her knees gasping in pain as the golden marks began to crawl over her skin. "NO!" he yelled as she suddenly stood up calmly. Looking back at him with golden eyes, she smiled sadly; "I love you" she whispered, almost apologetically, before she quickly took off in the direction of the demon.

"FUCK!" he screamed as he ran back inside. Bounding down the stairs and running through the bar area, he yelled "demon!" at the others as he grabbed his sword. Hawk shrank beneath one of the tables in fear as Diane called after him "where's Elizabeth?"

"She's already out there" he yelled back over his shoulder as he went out the door.

Diane, King, and Ban all looked at each other in confusion as they ran out after their Captain.

"Uh, what do you mean she's already ou…." Ban began but was shocked into silence by a blinding flash of light. As quickly as it began, it was gone…and so was the demon.

"WOO! GO MERLIN!" Diane shouted, "uh, where's the Captain?" King glanced over at her and shrugged.

"I'm pretty sure he ran off towards the city. I don't think I've seen him move that fast since the Princess was taken by that crazy mage" said Ban.

But they were quickly distracted as a warm soothing glow enveloped the entire city of Camelot. "Elizabeth" Diane sighed in relief. Not long after the glow disappeared, Meliodas came over the hill carrying the unconscious Princess gently in his arms. "You guys need to spend the next few days and nights in the city…give it a thorough sweep to make sure it's safe and then help them start rebuilding.

"B-but…" Diane began when the Captain suddenly interrupted her, "Diane, I'm not asking...this is an order" he said quietly as he turned and walked into the Boar Hat.

They were still standing there, moments later, when Hawk suddenly came sliding out the door and it shut firmly behind him. "H-he pushed me!" Hawk said as he looked up at them in wonder, "what the hell is going on?"

"I don't know, let's just head to town."

They made it a few meters before the screaming began. Looking at each other in alarm, they burst back into the bar and ran up the stairs. Slamming open the door to the Captain's room, they were greeted to a strange sight. Meliodas was on top of Elizabeth, trying to hold her down as shimmering golden demon marks covered her body, while screaming and thrashing as though her life depended on it. Frozen in shock, the small group could only watch as the glowing marks finally began to fade and, though she was still unconscious, the Princess curled up into a tight ball and began to sob. Ignoring their audience, Meliodas sat down on the bed and gently drew her into his lap and, holding her against his chest, softly wiped away her tears with his sleeve while murmuring into her ear and gently kissing her forehead until she was quiet and still.

"I thought I told you all to go to town" he said quietly as he finally looked up at them. Seeing their expressions, he huffed a frustrated sigh. "I'll explain later, but for now, I need to stay with her" he said as he crawled into the bed and wrapped his arm around her waist, "and close the door behind you on your way out" he said, dismissing them.

Stunned and not knowing what else to do, they closed the door and shuffled down the stairs in silence. Ban grabbed a case of ale and placed it in the middle of the table and they all grabbed one as they collapsed into the surrounding chairs. Finally breaking the silence, Diane quietly said "I-I don't think that was Merlin we saw."

"What the fuck is going on?" Ban mumbled before they all lapsed back into silence, simultaneously wincing as the second round of screaming began.

...

When Elizabeth finally opened her eyes, it was night time, but two days had passed. She rolled over to find Meliodas anxiously watching her and she could visibly see his shoulders relax as he sighed in relief.

"Are you ok?" she said in concern as she sat up.

"Am _I_ ok?" he laughed tiredly, "I should be asking you that!"

She looked at him in confusion and he took her hand. "We need to talk" he said seriously.

"A-about what?" she hesitantly replied.

"About _you_."

He went on to explain what had been happening while she was unconscious and at the end of it, she cupped her hand to his cheek as the tears began to spill from her eyes. "I am _so_ sorry that I put you through all of that and for making you take care of me."

"You didn't _make_ me do anything, but you did have me worried. At least it only lasted two days this time, so maybe your body is adjusting or something. Oh, and one last thing…don't you _ever_ leave me like that again! If something ever happened, if I ever lost you, I…" he trailed off in surprise as she placed a finger to his lips. "I _am_ sorry about that, but I couldn't just stand there and listen to their screams without doing something; I'll try not to leave like that again" she whispered as she moved closer, "and thank you for always being there to look after me" she murmured as she placed a light lingering kiss on his jaw. He felt a shiver go up his spine and, quickly looking at her, saw her face flush and she locked eyes with him as she gently bit her lower lip and her full lips turn up in a shy smile. He raised an eyebrow and she had time to let out a short giggle before he pounced.

...

When Meliodas sleepily opened his eyes a crack the next morning, he was greeted to an odd and somewhat unpleasant sight. Merlin, Gowther, Hawk, and the rest of the Sins were standing at the end of his bed, staring at the two of them. He subtly glanced down, silently thanking the Goddess that they had put their pajamas back on. Merlin cleared her throat, making it clear that she knew he had seen them and, with a groan, he pulled the covers over his head as he heard her clear her throat again. "Ugh, what? Do I even want to know how long you guys have been standing there? And, just in case you were wondering, staring at us while we're sleeping is _really_ creepy" he mumbled, annoyed, as he tightened his embrace around Elizabeth. She sighed softly and snuggled into his chest, still asleep. "I've been catching up with everyone and I've heard some _very_ interesting stories. I think you and I need to have a chat" she smirked, "I'll be downstairs waiting. Leave the Princess here…for now"

He could hear the sharp, authoritative click of her heels as she left the room and the general shuffling as everyone else followed after her.

"I can think of about a hundred different ways I would've rather been woken up" he quietly grumbled to himself as he slowly tried to get out of bed without waking Elizabeth, "but, I knew this was going to happen sooner or later. Better to get it over with now."

He took one last look at the sleeping Apostle and smiled softly before making his way downstairs.


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello everyone! I'm not dead and I am SO sorry that this chapter took so long! Work got insanely crazy and everything else got pushed to the sidelines. Thank you so much for your patience :3**

...

"So, let me get this straight…" Merlin recapped for what seemed like the hundredth time. "The Princess, an Apostle of the _Goddesses_ , is now part demon. _And_ , she's powerful enough to be able to banish an albion of that size and power level in an instant, then go on to heal the entire city" she finished in obvious disbelief.

"Yup, that sounds about right" Meliodas replied with his face set in an indifferent mask. Inside, he was quickly growing angry at the tone of the questions and finally, having had enough, got up from the table. "Look, I told you what happened and I've answered all of your questions...a few times over. I don't know what you think you're going to hear but it doesn't matter how many times you ask, the answers aren't going to change. We're done here."

"Fine" the mage replied in a clipped tone, "I'll just have to question and examine the Princess for myself" she finished with a smirk as she pushed her chair back and started towards the stairs.

There was a quick blur and her smirk disappeared when she suddenly found her way blocked by a _very_ angry demon. "Don't even _think_ about laying a finger on her" Meliodas snarled as the demon marks began to creep across his skin. "She isn't one of your playthings or experiments, so back the fuck off Merlin" he growled. The rest of the Sins watched the scene with a mixture of curiosity and dread; they had an idea of how powerful the Captain was but The Sin of Gluttony kept her abilities close to her chest and they knew that they had yet to see what she was truly capable of.

The Boar Sin's eyes narrowed slightly as she replied in a low, dangerous voice. " _What_ did you just say to me?"

"You heard exactly what I said and I won't be repeating myself."

"Meliodas?" interrupted a soft voice from behind him. He immediately felt his shoulders relax and his demon markings began to pull back as he turned around. Merlin raised an eyebrow and looked at the pair curiously, making a mental note to pay closer attention and observe the two of them a bit more closely when they were around each other.

"Elizabeth!" he smiled. The Princess took in the still somewhat defensive postures of both Merlin and Meliodas as well as the fact that the rest of the Sins were all the way on the other side of the room; about as far from the pair as they could get while still being able to watch what was going on.

"Were you two arguing" she began to ask as the Boar Sin and Dragon Sin both refused to make eye contact with her, "a-about me?" she finished softly as she slowly realized what she had walked in on. "I have some very important things to take care of in my laboratory" announced Merlin before she spun around and marched towards the door. She was halfway there when she heard Ban snort as he tried to conceal a laugh. She stopped walking and stood in the middle of the floor, not moving, for a moment before continuing out the door without a word. The Sins each let out the breath they had been holding and there was a collective sigh of relief. "You had better watch yourself Ban" King warned him.

"Anyway," Meliodas said with a smile as he took her hand and started to pull her towards the rest of the group. They glanced at the Princess nervously and subtly shifted their chairs away from her as she sat down. "I'll go grab you something to eat, you must be really hungry!" grinned the Captain as he made his way into the kitchen.

Everyone just sat around the table as an uncomfortable silence settled over the group. "Glad to see that you're, uh, feeling better" Ban commented after the Captain had gone. "Oh yes, much better, thank you!" replied the Princess, eager to move on from what she had walked in on. "So!" said Diane "i-it looks like it's going to be a really nice day today! Not a rain demon in sight! _DROP, RAIN DROP!_ " she clarified loudly as her violet eyes went wide in horror at the slip. She turned a violent shade of red and began waving her hands in front of her. Suddenly they heard the sound of a plate being dropped to the floor in the kitchen but other than that, everything had gone uncomfortably silent.

Gowther looked around the table and asked what in his mind, must have seemed like a logical question. "Is everyone uncomfortable and not making eye contact with the Princess because she's a demon now? Are we to be afraid of her and rescind our offer of friendship? I am unclear of the social requirements when one's team mate becomes a demon."

Elizabeth, looking heartbroken and with a single tear escaping down her cheek, got up from the table without a word and ran back upstairs.

Lips pressed tight and his face white with rage, Meliodas stalked from the kitchen moments later, with a thick black fog following him. He silently glared at each of them with piercing black eyes before going up the stairs after Elizabeth. "I believe I may have said something the Captain did not approve of" Gowther said as he turned to the others with a blank expression. Ban, his face still pale from the brief encounter with the Sin of Wrath, rolled his eyes and smacked him on the back of the head hard enough to knock his glasses half way across the room. "Gee, ya _think_?"

Concerned, Meliodas quickly checked the bedroom before heading up to the balcony. When he opened the door, he didn't see her and was about to close it when he heard a quiet sniffle. He went back out and looked up. On the roof, sitting quietly and facing away from him with her knees to her chin, was his princess. He quickly climbed to the roof and silently sat down next to her. Without saying anything or even looking up, she leaned over and gently pressed her face into the linen shirt that was covering his shoulder as she began to sob. He wrapped one arm around her, drawing her close, and with the other, tucked her long silver hair behind her ear before he began to gently rub her back until she had cried herself out. "I'm so sorry" he said softly in her ear.

"It wasn't you" she replied so quietly that he almost missed it. "They have every right to be afraid of me. I have no idea how powerful I am, let alone how to control my powers. Besides, I've already killed one person, how could I possibly expect anyone to trust me or feel safe around me."

"What do you mean you _killed_ someone!? When? Who?"

Elizabeth looked up at the Dragon Sin in surprise. "Jirou…or whoever he had taken over."

A warm smile spread over Meliodas' face as he looked at his fiancée. "Honey, I don't know how to tell you this but you didn't kill him." Elizabeth's bright blue eyes got a bit wider with a mixture of fear and hope. "S-so Jirou is still out there?"

"Oh no, Jirou is definitely gone! However, the body he took over? That person is perfectly fine – confused, but fine."

"How?" she breathed, "how was I able to get rid of one without destroying the other?"

"To be honest…I have no idea. However, after the guy regained consciousness he kept going on about a strange dream. He was really confused and we were able to convince him that he must have been sleep walking and dropped him off at his family's farm after questioning him. And I'd just like to say, in regards to the albion that attacked Camelot...well, that was the most powerful purify/banishment I've seen. At least since the time of the Goddesses themselves...I'm impressed, but I always knew you had it in you."

"I still need to figure out these powers" Elizabeth huffed in frustration as she simultaneously flushed at the complement. "They keep flying out of hand at a moment's notice and I don't think that I'm fully in control of the demonic side yet. The Goddess told me that I would know when I was, but can't see it being quite so painful or sporadic if I had already mastered it."

"Well, we can go back to the druid elders if you'd like. I'm sure they'll be able to tell you something, though I'm not sure how useful it will be. By the way, how did you get all the way up here on the roof?" At that, the Princess grinned and hugged him tightly, "well, it _appears_ that I've become a lot more coordinated since the change. I want to thank you _again_ for always being here for me…and don't you _dare_ get mopey" she announced as she saw the look that flashed across his face, "you did everything you could. I certainly don't blame you, so stop blaming yourself!" He merely sighed heavily in response and firmly hugged her back. "Is there anything we need to do in Camelot before we go?" she said as she leaned back to look at him.

"Maybe help them with a bit of the rebuilding…and do you think we should get married?"

"But what about my father and sisters!?"

"Oh, we'll get married again for them. However, I thought I lost you and while I have no intention of losing you again, I'd prefer it if there was no way you could be accidentally married off to someone else; you know, like any more members of my family" he finished with a grin. "That's fair" she laughed, "I think I might prefer that too!"

"I'll talk to Arthur and see what he can do" he said as he tightened his grip around her again.

…

"I just feel so awful!" Diane groaned as she placed her head on the wooden table. Ban, King, and Gowther looked over at her as she had just said aloud what they were all thinking. Well, what almost all of them had been thinking. "Am I supposed to feel awful? Exactly how does one go about feeling awful?" questioned Gowther.

"Just _shut up_ and go read a book" Ban grumbled.

"Very well" replied the Sin of Lust as he went upstairs to his attic.

"She's my best friend and after everything she went through...I can't believe I treated her like that."

"It's ok Diane" said a soft voice by the stairs. They all looked up to see the Princess and Meliodas standing there. "No, it's not ok" answered Diane firmly as she got up and moved towards them. "You're my best friend and when you needed me the most, I acted as though you were going to turn into a crazy, soul munching, rampaging demon at any second. I'm _so_ sorry."

"Diane, what I mean is I forgive you…all of you. And please know that I would never hurt any of you."

"Well, not on purpose" King mumbled.

"No Sir King, not _ever_ " Elizabeth answered seriously. King regarded her skeptically but kept any further comments to himself. Meliodas gently pushed off of the wall he had been leaning against as he watched everyone and came to stand next to his Princess.

"Well. Now that that's settled, who wants to come to a wedding?" he announced as he wrapped one arm around her waist. There were a couple of seconds of stunned silence before Diane started to shriek and Ban moved to shake his Captain's hand. "Now, keep in mind that this is just going to be a quick, simple ceremony. The big one is going to be in Liones."

Diane swept Elizabeth up in a hug, "yes, of course I'll come! This is so exciting! When is it happening?"

Meliodas quickly looked out the window before turning to the tiny giantess, "in about 60 steps."

"60...steps? Tsk, you're so weird!"

A few moments later, there was a knock at the door and as Hawk moved to answer it, the knob turned and the door opened to reveal King Arthur in all of his armored finery. "Am I late?" he smiled.

"Nah, just in time" grinned the Captain.

...

The ceremony was indeed short and the assembly small. It was held in the Boar Hat with just the Sins in attendance while Arthur officiated. Diane and Ban acted as witnesses and it was done. The new bride and groom graciously declined the offer of a feast at the castle, instead informing Arthur of their plans to visit the Druid Elders, carefully leaving out their main reason for going.

"Aw man! A huge part of me wants to come along with you" said Arthur wistfully, "but I need to oversee this re-build. Regardless, thank you all for your help in destroying the demon." The young king loaded them up with more supplies then they knew what to do with and, with a promise to come back and visit very soon, they set off back in the direction of the Druid Elders.


	21. Chapter 21

**I AM SO SORRY! Life got crazy and then I had an awful case of writer's block. Rest assured that I am still alive though!**

 **So, is anyone else disappointed that there are only 4 episodes (so far?) for season 2?**

…

"I sent riders out almost two weeks ago. How hard can it _possibly_ be to locate a giant green pig wearing a tavern!" huffed the King in exasperation.

Veronica was silent, her eyes still puffy from two weeks of guilt induced crying. "I-I'm s-so s-sorry father!" she suddenly wailed before dissolving into a fresh round of tears. The King had forbidden his middle daughter to go with the riders he sent to look for the Seven Deadly Sins and so she was left with nothing to do but worry over the safety of her younger sister and berate herself over having been so foolishly jealous.

Bartra sighed softly before shooting his eldest daughter a look. Margaret quickly understood and moved to stand beside her sister. "Veronica, you know father doesn't blame you and neither do I" she said softly. "You really _must_ stop beating yourself up like this. Besides" she continued, "as you yourself stated before they left, Elizabeth couldn't possibly be any safer than she is with Lord Meliodas. He would protect her with his life" she finished with a gentle smile as she wrapped her arms around her younger sister. The middle princess sniffled but it seemed that her crying had stopped.

"You've been cooped up and miserable in your room for two weeks! Take Griamore and go down to the training yard" Bartra smiled in relief, "you know you always feel better after you've beaten up on that poor boy!" he finished with a laugh. Veronica ducked her head to hide the blush and mumbled her agreement before quickly leaving the room.

The King sighed again before turning to his other daughter. "Do _you_ think they're alright?"

"They've survived far worse, father" she quietly pointed out.

"True" he grudgingly admitted. After a brief pause, the King stood up and turned to Margaret. "Have Griamore come and see me. I want him to keep a close eye on Veronica. I don't want to have to worry about two of my daughters…one is stressful enough!"

Understanding that she was dismissed, Margaret left the study and after relaying the message about Griamore to one of the servants, went off in search of Gilthunder. The past couple of weeks had been hard on everyone and at that moment, she wanted nothing more then to be in his steady, ever comforting presence.

…

She probably could have ignored the knocking a bit longer however, it was beginning to get on her nerves and, knowing exactly who it was, her curiosity finally won out. "If it will stop your incessant knocking, then _come in_!" she snapped. The door to her laboratory opened and a shaggy blonde head popped around the edge.

"Hey" he began warily. Merlin raised an eyebrow and, crossing her arms, stood in expectant silence. "Ugh, fine! I'm sorry I lost it like that on you earlier" muttered Meliodas.

"Elizabeth made you come up here and apologize, didn't she."

"Possibly" he said as he tried not to grin at her.

The Boar Sin looked at the Captain and began to laugh but when she realized that Meliodas wasn't laughing with her she stopped and stared at him curiously.

"I'm just trying to figure out if it's a good laugh or one of your scary laughs where everything seems ok and then suddenly you're impaled against a wall with invisible spikes, wearing nothing at all and not quite knowing how you got there" he said, giving her an appraising look.

"I see that you've been speaking with Ban" she smirked before they both began to laugh.

"Ok, _I'm_ sorry that I was so intent on inspecting the Princess. I probably should have been a bit more tactful, considering that I know how you tend to get with regards to her.

"Gee, you think?" he said as he raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to stop, are you?" he continued with a sigh.

Merlin did not say anything but merely crossed her arms again.

"Well, I suppose you're in luck then. Elizabeth is willing to let you examine her."

She looked at him in mild surprise but Meliodas could see the underlying smugness. "No need to look like the cat that ate the canary" he muttered. "However" he continued a bit louder, "I have to be there for all of it. That is my main condition."

"There are other conditions?"

"Do you want to examine her or not?" he said with a grin.

"Fine. What are the others?" smirked the Sin of Gluttony as she rolled her eyes in mock exasperation.

…

"He sure has been up there a long time" Diane said with a worried frown, "maybe we should go see if he's ok?"

"Diane, he'll be fine. It's not like they've never argued before. Besides I think Ban pissed her off more than the Captain did" King finished as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"What the hell did I do?!" Ban said as he came out of the kitchen carrying a large platter of sandwiches.

"What did you do! I can't even believe you even need to ask…you can't _possibly_ be that dense!" King yelled at him.

"All I did was laugh. You have to admit, it was pretty funny and I _know_ you guys want to see her knocked down a peg or two as much as I do!"

"Ugh, I can't believe my sister likes you" King grumbled as he walked towards the window.

"She doesn't just like me, she _loooves_ me" the Fox Sin sang with an evil toothy grin. "Did you know, she's does this thing when she's kissing…"

"AGHHH" interrupted the Grizzly Sin with a look of horror, "She is my _sister_! I am NOT listening to this…LA LA LA LA LA" he yelled as he placed his fingers in his ears and turning around, quickly floated out the front door.

"Well, that was easy" Ban smirked before turning back to the platter in front of him. "You are such an ass" Diane hissed at him before grabbing a few sandwiches and storming out the door after the Sin of Sloth.

"Do I want to know?" Meliodas said as he came down the stairs in time to see Diane slam the door hard enough to rattle the shutters.

"Not sure, maybe a lover's quarrel" smirked the Sin of Greed. "Sandwich?" he asked, pointing to the platter.

"Sure" he replied as he shoved one in his mouth.

"So, where's the Princess?"

The Dragon Sin swallowed and sighed appreciatively before grabbing another sandwich. "She's reading upstairs with Hawk"

Ban suddenly got quiet. "Um, there's a packed picnic basket for you guys in the kitchen" he mumbled as he began to pick apart a piece of lettuce.

To say that Meliodas was surprised by the sudden change was an understatement. The only time Ban ever mumbled was when he was drinking – and even then, it more slurring than mumbling. "Hey man, are you ok?"

Ban sighed and slumped back in the chair. The Sin of Wrath raised an eyebrow and didn't say a word as he got up and grabbed some ale before sitting back down and pushed one of the mugs towards Ban. "Ok, what's going on?"

"I don't think I can stay here."

"Why?"

"Captain, I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am for you. But" he paused to breath before rushing on, "you have everything I want! I have to bring Elaine back. I don't want to be alone for the rest of eternity" he finished desperately as he quickly swallowed the remaining contents of his mug, putting it back down on the table only to find Meliodas watching him.

"Ban, you don't have to do this on your own. We'll help you! After we figure out what's going on with Elizabeth, that'll be our new mission."

"What's our new mission?" grunted Diane as she dragged in a huge dead animal through the door. "What?" she said defensively as she saw the looks on their faces "I needed to blow off some steam. I brought dinner."

"Yeah, for the rest of the month!" grumbled Ban.

"So anyway" she said, glaring at the Fox Sin, "what's our new mission?"

"Well" Meliodas began with a grin, "after we figure out what's going on with Elizabeth, we're going to go find King's sister" Diane's eyebrows got lost somewhere around her hairline as she stammered "w-why?"

Ban tensed and quickly glanced at the Captain. "Well, we need something to do and if I have to keep hearing King whine and moan about how his sister's death was all his fault and how much he misses her, I swear I'm going to put him on dish detail forever!" The Captain noticed Ban's shoulders relax out of the corner of his eye. "Anyway" he said as he got up and subtlety placed a hand on Ban's shoulder, squeezing gently before addressing Diane again, "I have to go." She watched in confusion as Meliodas walked into the kitchen.

"Every time I think I have him figured out, he does something to surprise me. I know he cares about us but I didn't think he'd suggest something like this!"

"Neither did I" said Ban softly as he stared at the kitchen door as it swung shut.


End file.
